id string | concept_name string | domain string | content_type string | text string | quality_score float64 | information_density string | complexity_level int64 | token_count int64 | prerequisites list | builds_to list | cross_domain_connections list | quality_assessment dict |
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d787f239-9352-4872-ae86-70ebe17c9c43 | Incorrect Oil Capacities | technology | worked_examples | Incorrect Oil Capacities?
When looking through the standard owner’s manual for a boat engine, it’s important to note that the engine oil capacities listed are approximate. In addition, the engine oil capacity is reflective of the entire lubrication system. For this reason, when filling the engine, sometimes boat owners will notice that the engine is filled before the indicated amount of oil is used. Once oil is inside the engine, it’s quite difficult to ensure that all the oil is drained during an oil change. The residual oil left in the engine is the reason that it cannot be filled with the recommended amount of oil.
For a popular engine model, like the MerCruiser from Mercury, it’s important to fill the crankcase according to the dipstick when the engine is level. If the oil is at the mark, then it as the proper level regardless of how much additional oil is put in. Never overfill the crankcase, and always ensure that the right oil is used. For example, for a MerCruiser engine, use Mercury oil from the manufacturer for better performance and to preserve the life of the engine. The engine oil level should be between the add and full marks on the dipstick. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 250 | [
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83abb98f-e4b9-44a9-8cb5-a2925eb6b87a | Somewhat like a law of nature | science | research_summary | Somewhat like a law of nature?:
The first study to compare the accumulation of mutations across many animal species has shed new light on decades-old questions about the role of these genetic changes in ageing and cancer. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute found that despite huge variation in lifespan and size, different animal species end their natural life with similar numbers of genetic changes.
The study, published today (13 April 2022) in Nature, analysed genomes from 16 species of mammal, from mice to giraffes. The authors confirmed that the longer the lifespan of a species, the slower the rate at which mutations occur, lending support to the long-standing theory that somatic mutations play a role in ageing…
Dr Alex Cagan, a first author of the study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: “To find a similar pattern of genetic changes in animals as different from one another as a mouse and a tiger was surprising. But the most exciting aspect of the study has to be finding that lifespan is inversely proportional to the somatic mutation rate. This suggests that somatic mutations may play a role in ageing, although alternative explanations may be possible. Over the next few years, it will be fascinating to extend these studies into even more diverse species, such as insects or plants.”Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, “Mutations across animal kingdom shed new light on aging” at ScienceDaily (April 13, 2022)
The paper is open access.
You may also wish to read: Surprise, Surprise, The aging process is irreversible | 0.55 | medium | 5 | 322 | [
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5cb549a8-79f4-49c8-810a-a8c1cfac769b | Peter Dekens’ first memory | social_studies | historical_context | Peter Dekens’ first memory of the First World War dates from 1979. His cousin died while dismantling an old projectile. The traces of the Great War have been almost completely erased from the Belgian landscape, but to this day, human remains and projectiles are still found along the former front line in Ypres. With Shaky Ground Peter Dekens tells the story of these remains and offers a reflection on the current European situation in which the awareness of the importance of unity stands on shaky ground again.
One hundred years ago, on 11 November 1918, the armistice came into effect. For the special occasion of this commemoration we will include a free a high-quality Baryta inkjet photo print (18x27 cm / 7x10.6″) with every purchase of the book until the end of this year.
Peter Dekens’ earliest memory of the First World War dates back to 1979, aged 12. One of his cousins found an old, unexploded bombshell and tried to dismantle it. The explosive went off and he succumbed to his injuries later that same evening.
Driving along the former front line in Ypres (Belgium) now it’s nearly impossible to imagine that one of the most horrific wars of all time was waged here one hundred years ago.
The traces of the Great War have been almost completely erased from the landscape, over the course of decades, hundreds of bunkers were removed. To this very day, human remains and projectiles are still found every time someone sticks a spade into the soil. Somewhere beneath the sod, tens of thousands of missing soldiers are presumed to lie undiscovered, along with hundreds of thousands of unexploded shells.
An estimated thirty per cent of the 1.5 billion bombshells fired during the First World War never went off. Some of the people who live in the area have developed a sixth sense for this hidden history: where tens of thousands of tourists and travellers pass by unknowing, the locals know that the slightest raise or dip in the road could be an indication that war remnants still lie uneasy beneath the earth.
For centuries, Europe was a divided continent with countless wars and infinite redefinitions of shared borders. It briefly seemed as though the First World War would be the very last, the “war to end all wars”. Ultimately, however, those years planted the first seeds of the Second World War. Long-lasting peace, prosperity and progress did not come to Europe until after 1945. The establishment of the European Community was envisioned as an affirmation of permanent peace in Europe. With the recent situation surrounding Brexit and the surge in nationalist, anti-European movements in various European countries, it seems that the awareness of the importance of unity stands on shaky ground again. The traces of a history of war seem to be fading rapidly from memory. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 598 | [
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09e52845-5706-468f-a35f-f7eb62cb518a | SaferJourno free open-source curriculum | life_skills | tutorial | SaferJourno is a free and open-source curriculum guide for media trainers who teach students, professionals and peers digital safety and online security. Easy to use lesson plans are in six different modules; assessing risks, basic protection, mobile phone safety, keeping data safe, researching securely, and protecting email. The toolkit starts with a trainer’s guide, which walks journalism and media trainers through adult teaching and learning approaches.
The guide aims to make the teaching of these sometimes complex issues to busy professionals, easier to navigate. The curriculum for the toolkit was created by Internews with experts from the increasingly overlapping fields of journalism and cybersafety and in response to requests from colleagues and friends around the world looking for ways to more effectively teach and share these critically important skills. The toolkit was field-tested in Nairobi, Kenya and peer-reviewed by leading experts in the digital security and journalism fields. It aims to help journalists, and the trainers and educators who work with them, integrate the fundamentals of digital safety into their craft and daily practice of journalism.
Download the toolkit, SaferJourno | 0.6 | high | 5 | 221 | [
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5bcf85ef-33e6-4655-8ef5-f375fc1edcb7 | Zero Emissions Power Generation | science | historical_context | Zero Emissions Power Generation
Clean Energy Systems has developed game-changing technology that is revolutionizing the power industry by eliminating the traditional power plant stack and making zero-emission power plants a standard installation.
Based on proven rocket technology, the CES oxy-fuel combustor produces clean, high-energy drive gases for the generation of electrical power. The incorporation of oxy-fuel combustion technology into conventional power generation systems makes zero-emissions power plants (ZEPPs) based on fossil fuels practical today.
ZEPPs have multiple advantages, including compact and lower cost equipment, greater cycle efficiencies with advanced turbines, complete carbon capture and sequestration of the carbon dioxide (CO2) effluent, and zero emissions (or ultra-low emissions when the exhaust is vented to the atmosphere as in a peaking power plant).
Zero Emission Power Plants (ZEPP)
Lower power costs combined with improved plant efficiencies and zero atmospheric pollution used to be a dream. Now it's a reality. Clean Energy Systems has developed an oxy-fuel combustion technology that uses pure oxygen to combust natural gas or other fuels in a manner that produces clean power, commercial CO2, and clean water -- with zero emissions released to the atmosphere.
A key advantage of oxy-fuel combustion over air-based combustion is that higher turbine efficiencies are achieved. To utilize the higher temperature gas stream from the oxy-fuel generator, CES developed an entirely new generation of power turbines. Using these new power turbines, the CES process can result in a 20 percent increase in power production when compared to a conventional power plant utilizing the same quantity of fuel. Greater power production per unit of fuel results in lower costs and less dependency on global energy providers.
As the United States and European nations implement greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction standards and more stringent NOx requirements, ZEPPs are becoming increasingly important. Current regulations in the State of California require an 80 percent reduction in GHG emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. An extensive study to determine the necessary technologies to achieve this level of reduction identified carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) power generation as critical technologies that must be realized if these reductions are to be achieved. Today, CES oxy-fuel power plants are capable of providing 100 percent CCS power generation at competitive power costs, making California GHG reductions readily achievable.
- Generates power with zero emissions to the atmosphere.
- Utilizes natural gas, syngas, biomass, and other fuels.
- Occupies a small physical footprint.
- Creates both peaking and base load power.
- Backed by strong strategic partners.
- Generates CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
- Produces water for community use.
Zero Emission Load Balancing (ZELB)
Currently, the main function of natural gas power generation is load balancing between the base load generation from nuclear and coal plants and the intermittent swings of the preferred wind/solar power plants. As federal and state governments emphasize renewable energy and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the role of natural gas as an intermittent power source will be at risk. According to a recent study published by the California Council on Science and Technology, "the use of natural gas (without CCS) to balance variability in electric generation units will eat up a significant fraction of the GHG target allocated to the energy sector if the 2050 goals are to be met."
With natural gas GHG emissions becoming increasingly problematic, other sources of power will become preferred alternatives to natural gas generation. These power sources include pumped hydro, compressed air, energy storage, flywheels, off-peak hydrogen, end-use energy storage, and various battery designs. Regulators are already moving toward establishing rate-making tariffs that encourage these power sources over traditional natural gas generation. The problem is that these sources of power are more expensive than natural gas.
ZELB power turbines provide the same operating flexibility as traditional power turbines but avoid the complications that non-ZELB power turbines will present as they become difficult to dispatch under stringent GHG/NOx emissions restrictions. Combining zero-emission load balancing (ZELB) natural gas power turbines with robust renewable energy resources will provide a reliable grid that is cost-effective for consumers.
ZELB facilities are similar to ZEPPs except that the CO2 generated by ZELB systems is sequestered in abandoned oil and gas reservoirs and in saline formations. In recent studies, the United States Department of Energy and others have identified extensive CO2 storage capacity in well-characterized, abandoned oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations across the U.S. These storage reservoirs can provide decades of storage capacity through the twenty-first century and beyond. | 0.7 | medium | 6 | 976 | [
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e662be4d-60a2-429f-b268-bce31b463e09 | usually associate robotics tasks | interdisciplinary | historical_context | We usually associate robotics with tasks that are, if not high tech, at least modern in nature. That’s why it’s so cool to see a robot being adapted for a task that is explicitly ancient: scraping away at animal skins with replicas of stone tools found at archaeological sites.
Radu Iovita, an archaeologist at the Monrepos Research Center in Neuwied, Germany, studies microscopic wear patterns on ancient stone tools to try to determine how they were used. The conventional way to do this wear analysis is to make a fresh copy of the stone tool that you’re looking at, and then scrape a bunch of animal hides with it using the technique that you’ve guessed was used on the original. If, after a while, your new stone tool shows the same sort of wear pattern that the old stone tool does, you can have some level of confidence that you’ve been using the same technique. If the wear pattern is different, you make a new tool and try again.
This, to put it mildly, can take a while, and Iovita wanted to find a way to standardize and expedite the process. And so, robots. Iovita enlisted the help of professor Jonas Buchli at ETH Zurich, who conscripted a Kuka lightweight robot arm to precisely scrape tools against animal hides over and over, and after every 50th scrape, put the edge of the tool under a microscope to record the wear patterns. This video is decidedly in German, but it does show how the robot works (at 1:40):
The hope is that eventually, a fleet of robots will be able to develop a massive database of tools anywhere from 50,000 to 3 million years old that correlates different types of tools, techniques, wear patterns, and usage characteristics. But according to an article about Iovita’s work, not everyone is ready to embrace robotic archaeology:
Currently, Iovita is experiencing some opposition from within his own profession. Some believe that manual experiments are closer to the past reality; others find that use-wear analysis in general does not advance archaeological theory. Iovita thinks this is mainly due to the fact that most archaeologists have a humanities background and are not familiar with the world of engineers.
And as to the first point, it raises the question of what “manual” really means. According to my girlfriend’s 15-pound Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (which can only be read with a magnifying glass), “manual” means “done or performed with the hands.” The first recorded definition, however, is from a 1406 poem called La Male Regle, which is slightly before the introduction of Kuka’s lightweight robotic arms. So, it seems likely that Thomas Hoccleve (this dude) neglected to consider them when he wrote La Male Regle. We can forgive him for that, I guess.
“Manual” also means “as opposed to automatic,” and if you put these two definitions together, it’s pretty clear that manual experiments aren’t supposed be compatible with things like robots, but in my opinion, this perspective is as outdated as La Male Regle. What this robot is doing is manual, as far as the stone and leather are concerned, since it’s precisely replicating the motions and forces generated by a human hand. The fact that it isn’t a human hand doesn’t, in practice, matter, since any characteristic of a human hand can be programmed into the robot.
What’s particularly interesting to me about applications like these is how it potentially changes the meaning of the word “handmade.” Like, if you have a robot mimicking the motions of a human hand to complete a task or create an object such that if you performed a sort of Turing Test and couldn’t tell a robotic result from a human result, would you then be forced to call objects created by robots “handmade?”
For example, take that robot chef from last Friday that can exactly duplicate the motions of a human chef to create a nearly identical copy of a crab bisque. Is the crab bisque made by the robot any less “handmade” than the one made by the human chef? I suppose you could argue that handmade instead should refer to something that is “unique,” but it would be trivial to incorporate some minor elements of randomness into the programming of a robot to duplicate that process, whether it’s for scraping tools against leather or preparing soup.
Anyway, as far as the archaeological stuff, the researchers are confident that within a decade, robotic experimentation like this will become the standard. We’re pretty sure they’re right.
Via [ ETH Zurich ] | 0.55 | medium | 4 | 970 | [
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651a5534-1bd8-41ff-b717-212e224f8992 | December 1943, Germany launched | technology | proof | On December 2, 1943, Germany launched an air attack on the Italian town of Bari on the Adriatic coast. The town was important strategically as it was a major shipping port. It was a carefully planned surprise attack involving more than 100 aircraft of the German Luftflotte 2. The planes, which were fast moving Junkers Ju 88 bombers, hit their targets. In the raid which lasted just over an hour, they sank 27 ships, both military and civilian including transporters and cargo ships as well as a schooner.
The port was put out of action for over a year as a result of the damage. An unintended consequence of the attack was a large number of causalities suffering from mustard gas poisoning. Unfortunately, one of the wrecked ships contained a secret cargo of mustard bombs, and the poisonous gas was released into the air and sea as the ship broke up.
Little Pearl Harbor
The attack is sometimes referred to as “Little Pearl Harbor” because the allies were taken completely by surprise. They did not see the port as a likely target for attack. Not only was it inadequately protected but the harbor lights which were on through the night to help with loading and unloading ships marked the area out perfectly for the German bombers.
The Allies lost 17 ships – only one less than at Pearl Harbor. The Port of Bari had been taken without resistance by the Allies on September 11, 1943. However, despite the port’s strategic importance as a means of bringing provisions and ammunition into the country, the Allies had failed to defend it adequately from a possible air attack.
The most famous ship lost in the raid was the SS John Harvey: a US Liberty Ship. It had arrived in Bari with a cargo of 2,000 bombs each containing 60 to 70lbs of mustard gas.
As the port was already packed with ships all waiting their turn to unload, the ship’s commander Captain Elwin F Knowes faced a dilemma. He was aware of his deadly cargo and wanted to offload it as quickly as possible. However, he could not let the port authorities know what the ship carried. Mustard gas had been prohibited by the Geneva Protocol of 1925 following its use in WW1.
He decided to wait his turn. Had he told the harbor master he would have risked being court-martialed for releasing top secret information so not surprisingly he said nothing. Although made for a good reason it was a decision which would turn out to have serious consequences.
The Air Raid
The Luftflotte made their attack on Bari Harbor, and the SS John Harvey was one of their targets. When the ship was hit, there was a massive explosion and the liquid sulfur contained in the bombs was released. It caused contamination of the sea where those who were escaping the sinking ships were trying to swim to safety.
As a result, they swallowed the poisoned water and contaminated their skin and clothes. Simple measures like washing and changing their clothing would have helped to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities. However, they did not know what they were dealing with as initially there was no visible sign of contamination.
The symptoms of mustard gas poisoning start to develop in the 24 hours following contact. The explosion also resulted in a giant cloud of toxic vapor which fell on the decks of the ships which survived the attack as well as blowing across the city.
One ship, which had survived the attack at Bari – the HMS Bicester – set off for the port at Taranto shortly afterward. By the time they arrived the mustard gas that had fallen on the deck of their ship had started to take effect. They had to request help to steer the ship into the harbor as conjunctivitis had temporarily blinded the crew as a result of their exposure.
The biggest problem faced by the medical staff trying to treat the victims of the mustard gas was that no one knew the cause of their injuries. Medics were confused by the mysterious symptoms which included breathing difficulties, blisters on the skin and visual problems due to conjunctivitis and a strange garlic-like odor. They were not aware of the effects of chemical weapons and had no experience in dealing with them. Almost all the crew from the John Harvey had been lost in the raid so they could not provide the information needed to treat the patients effectively.
Despite the fact that people were suffering from the effects of the gas poisoning and the local doctors did not know how to treat them, the US was initially determined to keep the presence of the bombs secret. They sent an army surgeon to the scene. Dr. Stewart F. Alexander recognized the symptoms, and the injured were able to get appropriate treatment. Dr. Alexander was later commended for his work treating the victims of the attack.
The Allies had tried to conceal the truth as they were afraid that if the Axis found out about their secret weapon, it could escalate the risk of serious chemical warfare. The Allies eventually admitted they had developed the mustard bomb to be used in defense, not as the first line of attack.
Despite this admission, deaths resulting from the Allies mustard bombs at Bari were registered as “burns due to enemy action.”
Perhaps the only positive thing to come from the incident was that samples of tissue from autopsies were preserved for research purposes. These were used to help develop the drug based on sulfur mustard which would become one of the first chemotherapy drugs used in the treatment of cancer. | 0.65 | medium | 4 | 1,129 | [
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97a936d4-eaea-49f0-a62b-64608f758bde | Echoes Interaction: Quantum Gases | interdisciplinary | historical_context | ## The Echoes of Interaction: From Quantum Gases to Abstract Spaces ### Shared Pattern: The Essence of Emergence from Local Interactions At its heart, both Many-Body Theory in physics and Functional Analysis in mathematics grapple with a fundamental question: **How do complex, collective behaviors emerge from the interactions of individual components?** In Many-Body Theory, these components are typically particles – electrons, atoms, photons – interacting through fundamental forces. The challenge is to understand the properties of the system as a whole, which often differ dramatically from the properties of the individual particles. Think of a single water molecule versus a vast ocean; the ocean exhibits wave motion, tides, and currents, phenomena entirely absent in the isolated molecule. Functional Analysis, on the other hand, deals with spaces of functions, which can be thought of as infinite collections of "components" (the functions themselves). The "interactions" here are often defined by mathematical operations, norms, or inner products that measure relationships between these functions. The goal is to understand the structure and properties of these function spaces, and how transformations or operators act upon them, revealing emergent properties of the collective. ### The Surprising Connection: Hilbert Spaces as the Universal Stage The surprising and deeply insightful connection lies in the fact that the mathematical framework often employed in Many-Body Theory to describe the collective state of interacting particles is precisely the **Hilbert space**, a central object of study in Functional Analysis. It’s not immediately obvious because one deals with tangible physical particles governed by quantum mechanics, while the other explores abstract mathematical spaces populated by functions. However, the quantum mechanical description of a system of *N* particles requires a state vector residing in a Hilbert space of dimension $3N$ (or $3N$ if we consider spin, or even higher if we include other degrees of freedom). The complexity arises because these particles interact, meaning their individual states are not independent. The system's overall state is a single, entangled vector in this vast Hilbert space. Functional Analysis provides the tools to rigorously define and manipulate these infinite-dimensional spaces (often the Hilbert space of square-integrable functions, $L^2$), and to study the operators that represent physical observables (like energy, momentum, position) acting on these states. The "interactions" in Many-Body Theory translate into specific forms of these operators. The challenge of Many-Body Theory – finding the allowed energy states (eigenstates) and their corresponding energies (eigenvalues) of the Hamiltonian operator – becomes a problem of spectral analysis within the Hilbert space, a core concern of Functional Analysis. ### Illustrative Example: The Harmonic Oscillator Chain Let's consider a simple, yet powerful example: a chain of coupled harmonic oscillators. Imagine a line of identical masses connected by springs. **Many-Body Theory Perspective:** We want to understand the collective vibrational modes of this system. Each mass can oscillate, and its motion is influenced by its neighbors through the springs. * **Components:** The individual masses, each with its own position and momentum. * **Interactions:** The springs connecting the masses, exerting forces based on their displacement. * **The Goal:** To find the normal modes of vibration – specific patterns of collective motion where all masses oscillate with the same frequency. The Hamiltonian for this system, describing its total energy, can be written in terms of the positions ($q_i$) and momenta ($p_i$) of the $N$ masses. A typical form might look like: $H = \sum_{i=1}^N \frac{p_i^2}{2m} + \frac{1}{2} k q_i^2 + \frac{1}{2} K (q_{i+1} - q_i)^2$ where $m$ is the mass of each oscillator, $k$ is the spring constant for the internal oscillator, and $K$ is the spring constant for the coupling springs. **Functional Analysis Perspective:** We can represent the state of the system by a vector in a Hilbert space. For a system of $N$ particles, each with a position in 1D, the state is described by a wavefunction $\psi(q_1, q_2, \dots, q_N)$, which belongs to the Hilbert space $L^2(\mathbb{R}^N)$. The Hamiltonian $H$ is an operator acting on this space. The problem of finding the normal modes of vibration is equivalent to finding the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the Hamiltonian operator. The eigenvectors represent the stationary states of the system, and their corresponding eigenvalues are the allowed energies. **Working in Tandem:** To solve this, we often perform a **transformation** that diagonalizes the Hamiltonian. This transformation is rooted in the principles of linear algebra and is deeply connected to the spectral theory of operators in Functional Analysis. 1. **Classical Mechanics Approach (leading to the quantum formulation):** In classical mechanics, we would set up the equations of motion and look for solutions of the form $q_i(t) = A_i e^{i\omega t}$. Substituting this into the equations of motion leads to a matrix eigenvalue problem. The eigenvalues of this matrix are the squares of the normal mode frequencies ($\omega^2$), and the eigenvectors describe the relative amplitudes of oscillation for each mass in a given normal mode. 2. **Quantum Field Theory / Many-Body Quantum Mechanics:** In the quantum realm, we use creation and annihilation operators, which act on the Fock space (a direct sum of Hilbert spaces representing different numbers of particles, but for a fixed number system, we work within a specific Hilbert space). These operators are defined in a way that simplifies the Hamiltonian. The transformation to normal modes is analogous to a change of basis in the Hilbert space. Let's simplify for the quantum harmonic oscillator. A single quantum harmonic oscillator has a Hamiltonian: $H_0 = \hbar \omega (a^\dagger a + \frac{1}{2})$, where $a^\dagger$ and $a$ are creation and annihilation operators. For the coupled chain, we can perform a **Fourier transform** (a unitary transformation in Hilbert space) on the creation and annihilation operators. This transforms the coupled oscillators into a set of *independent* quantum harmonic oscillators, each with its own characteristic frequency. These new frequencies are the normal mode frequencies derived classically. The key insight from Functional Analysis here is that this change of basis (Fourier transform) is a **unitary transformation** in the Hilbert space. Unitary transformations preserve the inner product and the norm of vectors, meaning they represent physically valid transformations of quantum states. They also preserve the spectral properties of operators in a fundamental way. The Hamiltonian, which was a complex, non-diagonal matrix (or operator) in the original basis, becomes a diagonal operator in the new basis, with the eigenvalues being the energies of the independent oscillators. The collective behavior of the interacting system is now understood as a superposition of these independent, collective modes. ### Reciprocal Learning: A Symbiotic Understanding Mastering Many-Body Theory significantly enhances one's appreciation and ability to utilize Functional Analysis, and vice versa. * **From Many-Body Theory to Functional Analysis:** When you encounter the need to describe the state of multiple interacting quantum particles, you are immediately thrust into the realm of Hilbert spaces. The physical intuition gained from understanding how particle states combine and interact provides concrete examples for abstract concepts like linear operators, spectral decomposition, and the importance of the inner product. The challenges in Many-Body Theory – like dealing with the exponential growth of the Hilbert space dimension with particle number (the "curse of dimensionality") – highlight the necessity for efficient analytical and numerical techniques developed within Functional Analysis. Understanding concepts like scattering theory or the properties of quantum fields intrinsically relies on the functional analytic tools for dealing with infinite-dimensional spaces and unbounded operators. * **From Functional Analysis to Many-Body Theory:** Conversely, a strong foundation in Functional Analysis provides the rigorous mathematical machinery to tackle the complexities of Many-Body Theory. Concepts like Hilbert spaces, Banach spaces, Fourier analysis, spectral theory, and the properties of various operators (self-adjoint, unitary, compact) are not just abstract tools; they are the very language needed to precisely formulate and solve problems in quantum mechanics and statistical physics. For instance, understanding the spectrum of the Hamiltonian operator is a direct application of Functional Analysis. The development of approximation methods in Many-Body Theory, such as perturbation theory or variational methods, often relies on the convergence properties of sequences of operators and vectors in functional spaces. ### Mathematical Foundation: Spectral Theorem and Unitary Transformations The core mathematical relationship underpinning this connection is the **Spectral Theorem for self-adjoint operators**. In Functional Analysis, this theorem states that for a self-adjoint operator $A$ on a Hilbert space $\mathcal{H}$, there exists a spectral measure $E$ such that $A = \int_{\mathbb{R}} \lambda dE(\lambda)$. This means the operator can be understood by its "eigenvalues" (the $\lambda$'s) and the "eigenvectors" or "eigen-subspaces" they represent. In Many-Body Theory, the Hamiltonian operator $H$ is self-adjoint. The Spectral Theorem guarantees that we can find a basis of eigenvectors (or generalized eigenvectors for continuous spectra) that diagonalize $H$. This is precisely what the transformation to normal modes achieves in the harmonic oscillator chain example. The eigenvalues of $H$ are the possible energy levels of the system. Furthermore, the **Fourier transform** is a prime example of a **unitary transformation**. Unitary operators $U$ satisfy $U^\dagger U = UU^\dagger = I$, where $I$ is the identity operator. They preserve the inner product: $\langle U\psi_1, U\psi_2 \rangle = \langle \psi_1, \psi_2 \rangle$. This means that physical states remain physically meaningful after the transformation. The transformation to normal modes in the harmonic oscillator chain is a unitary transformation that simplifies the Hamiltonian by changing the basis of the Hilbert space. ### Universal Application and Implications: From Quantum Fluids to Signal Processing The pattern of emergent properties from local interactions, described and analyzed using the framework of functional spaces, is remarkably pervasive. * **Quantum Fluids (Superfluidity and Superconductivity):** In these states, a macroscopic number of particles behave coherently. Understanding the collective excitations (phonons, Bogoliubov quasiparticles) relies heavily on the spectral properties of operators acting on the many-body Hilbert space. * **Condensed Matter Physics:** The behavior of electrons in solids, leading to phenomena like band structures, insulators, and metals, is a direct consequence of the collective interactions of countless electrons within the crystal lattice. The Bloch theorem, for instance, describes electron wavefunctions as Bloch waves, which are essentially eigenfunctions of the periodic potential, a concept deeply rooted in spectral theory. * **Quantum Information and Computation:** The state of a quantum computer is a vector in a large Hilbert space. Operations on qubits are unitary transformations. Understanding entanglement and performing quantum computations require a deep understanding of the structure of these spaces and the operators acting on them. * **Signal Processing and Image Analysis:** In classical domains, Fourier analysis (a cornerstone of Functional Analysis) is ubiquitous. Decomposing a complex signal into its constituent frequencies is akin to finding the normal modes of a physical system. Techniques like wavelets, which are also studied within Functional Analysis, provide localized representations of signals, analogous to understanding localized excitations in physical systems. * **Economics and Social Sciences:** While more abstract, the idea of emergent behavior from individual agents' interactions can be modeled using similar mathematical frameworks. The "interactions" might be economic transactions or social influences, and the "collective behavior" could be market trends or public opinion shifts. The underlying mathematical structure of analyzing complex systems from constituent parts, though often employing different specific tools, shares the fundamental principle of emergence. In essence, the bridge between Many-Body Theory and Functional Analysis reveals a profound truth: the universe, whether at the quantum mechanical level or in abstract mathematical constructs, often organizes itself through interactions, and the language of functional spaces provides a powerful, unifying lens through which to understand these emergent phenomena. The rigorous mathematical framework of Functional Analysis gives us the tools to precisely describe and predict the collective dance of particles, while the physical intuition from Many-Body Theory provides tangible, compelling examples that illuminate the abstract beauty of these mathematical structures. | 0.7 | medium | 8 | 2,650 | [
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34a3b8da-6e45-4475-9243-bf50c7d4b6c8 | Bleeding Keyboard: Guide Modern | technology | tutorial | Bleeding at the Keyboard: A Guide to Modern Programming with Java
by Gregory J. E. Rawlins
Publisher: Indiana University 1999
Number of pages: 291
Bleeding at the Keyboard made its first appearance as a material developed for the Fall 1999 C212 class at Indiana University, Bloomington. In this book, Rawlins try to guide us step by step on learning Java with the analogy of theatrical performance. Here we have objects (actors), classes (roles the actors play), methods (scenes the actors play out), Java interpreter (stage managers and producers), programmers (screenwriters and directors) and user (audiences).
Home page url
Download or read it online for free here:
- University of KwaZulu-Natal
Contents: Class Level Design; Object Based Programming; Object Oriented Programming; Applets, HTML, and GUI's; Object Oriented Design; A Solitaire Game - Klondike; Advanced GUI Programming; Generic Programming and Collection Classes; and more.
by Monica Pawlan - Addison-Wesley Professional
This book will help you learn Java fast, hands-on, with as little complexity and theory as possible. The guide covers all the fundamentals by developing a simple program that gradually grows into a full-fledged eCommerce application.
by Yakov Fain
Written for kids from 11 to 80 years old and for school computer teachers, parents who want to get their child into the world of computer programming and college students who are looking for a supplement to overcomplicated textbooks.
by Jeff Heaton - Heaton Research, Inc.
The book teaches Java to someone with absolutely no programming background. It focuses on core programming topics such as variables, looping, subroutines, and program layout. This course focuses on real programming techniques, and not using an IDE. | 0.75 | high | 6 | 394 | [
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893d12e9-486e-4602-8a4d-d8819097b56d | use passive biocathodes potentially | science | research_summary | The use of passive biocathodes could potentially hold the key to producing an environmentally sustainable approach for achieving combined waste water treatment and water desalinization, researchers at Mississippi State University have indicated.
Current world population now exceeds 7 billion. As this number continues to grow, so does the demand for fresh water resources. Ensuring access to clean water supplies is now a major priority across the planet. A key factor governing this is the approach taken to achieve effective wastewater treatment and water desalination.
Wastewater treatment is commonly achieved through activated sludge treatment utilising biochemical reaction and physical separation, while desalination can be achieved through thermal evaporation or membrane separation. However, both of these approaches are intensive in terms of cost and energy usage and also emit CO2. There is a need to develop methods where external energy consumption is minimized and energy recovery can be optimized.
Microbial desalination cells (MDCs) are a recent technological innovation where simultaneous wastewater treatment and desalination are achieved. In such bioelectrochemical cells, chemical catholytes such as ferricyanide are commonly used. However, these are not suitable for large-scale usage due to the prohibitive cost, large energy demands and environmental toxicity issues.
Another option is to use air-cathodes, which utilize oxygen as a thermal electron acceptor. However, these can suffer from slower redox kinetics, requiring the use of expensive catalysts, and large energy requirements to maintain aeration levels. A more sustainable and financially viable approach could therefore be to use biological cathodes, which utilise microorganisms as biocatalysts.
In this study by Bahareh Kokabian and Veera Gnaneswar Gude, which featured as the cover article for Issue 12, Vol 15 of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, the performance of an MDC with a conventional air-cathode and a photosynthetic microbial desalination cell (PMDC) utilising the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris were evaluated for their performance in terms of COD removal, desalination and energy generation from sewage sludge. This represents the first study of its kind to be attempted.
The results indicate that PMDCs can perform better than air-cathodes and as well as other conventional MDCs. COD removal of 66% and 57% were measured for the PMDC and air-cathode MDC respectively. Desalination rates were also enhanced, with levels of 40% measured for the PMDC and 24% for the air-cathode MDC.
Maximum voltage produced was higher for the PMDC (0.236 V) than for the air-cathode MDC (0.219 V). Moreover, the PMDC produces longer, more stable voltage, unlike conventional cathodes where potential reduction occurs after a time. Furthermore, it was shown that only 55% of the cathode volume was utilised, indicating that power production and desalination rates could be further improved if the MDC reactor design and electrode/material configuration are optimized.
Algae biocathodes in PMDCs provide the advantage of a continuous supply of electron acceptors and omit the need for additional chemical transport, storage, dosing, and post-treatment. The biochemical nature of the process also means the wastewater is essentially treated as a growth medium, producing valuable algal biomass, which could be used to obtain constructive products such as biogas, biohydrogen and biofuels.
This study therefore demonstrates that the use of PMDCs can provide an environmentally benign approach to wastewater treatment in which algae act as an in situ generator of oxygen. This has the potential to be beneficial in enhancing environmental and economic sustainability of water treatment whilst helping to improve COD removal, desalination and energy recovery in the same process.
This HOT paper is available to download through the following link:
Photosynthetic microbial desalination cells (PMDCs) for clean energy, water and biomass production, Bahareh Kokabian and Veera Gnaneswar Gude. DOI: 10.1039/c3em00415e | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 833 | [
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a02afa05-5192-435e-9e3d-cc11d94c21ed | Let's dive into fascinating | interdisciplinary | problem_set | Let's dive into the fascinating world of thermodynamics with Julia! Thermodynamics is all about energy, heat, work, and how they relate to physical systems. To start, what fundamental laws govern these energy transformations? And how can we represent these laws in a way that a computer can understand and calculate? Consider this: if we want to model a simple system, like a gas in a container, what properties would we need to track? Temperature? Pressure? Volume? Let's begin by implementing some core thermodynamic concepts. We'll create a structure to represent a thermodynamic system and then define functions to calculate key properties and work done. ```Julia # thermodynamics Implementation # Description: This code provides a foundational implementation for simulating thermodynamic processes. # It defines a `System` struct to hold thermodynamic properties and includes functions # to calculate work done during isobaric and isothermal processes, along with basic # error handling for invalid inputs. """ System Represents a thermodynamic system with its key properties. # Fields - `pressure::Float64`: The pressure of the system (e.g., in Pascals). - `volume::Float64`: The volume of the system (e.g., in cubic meters). - `temperature::Float64`: The temperature of the system (e.g., in Kelvin). - `n_moles::Float64`: The number of moles of substance in the system. """ mutable struct System pressure::Float64 volume::Float64 temperature::Float64 n_moles::Float64 # Constructor with validation function System(pressure::Float64, volume::Float64, temperature::Float64, n_moles::Float64) if pressure <= 0.0 error("Pressure must be positive.") end if volume <= 0.0 error("Volume must be positive.") end if temperature < 0.0 error("Temperature must be non-negative (absolute zero).") end if n_moles < 0.0 error("Number of moles cannot be negative.") end new(pressure, volume, temperature, n_moles) end end # Universal gas constant (in J/(mol·K)) const R_GAS = 8.31446261815324 """ calculate_ideal_gas_pressure(system::System) Calculates the pressure of an ideal gas using the ideal gas law (PV = nRT). This function can be used to verify or derive pressure if other properties are known. # Arguments - `system::System`: The thermodynamic system. # Returns - `Float64`: The calculated pressure of the ideal gas. """ function calculate_ideal_gas_pressure(system::System) # What if we only knew volume, temperature, and moles? How would we find pressure? # The ideal gas law comes to mind: PV = nRT. # So, P = nRT / V. Let's implement that. return (system.n_moles * R_GAS * system.temperature) / system.volume end """ calculate_work_isobaric(system::System, delta_volume::Float64) Calculates the work done by a system during an isobaric (constant pressure) process. Work done (W) = P * ΔV. # Arguments - `system::System`: The thermodynamic system. - `delta_volume::Float64`: The change in volume (final_volume - initial_volume). # Returns - `Float64`: The work done by the system. """ function calculate_work_isobaric(system::System, delta_volume::Float64) # During an isobaric process, the pressure remains constant. # How is work defined in such a scenario? # It's often thought of as the pressure multiplied by the change in volume. # W = P * ΔV. Let's use the system's current pressure. return system.pressure * delta_volume end """ calculate_work_isothermal(system::System, final_volume::Float64) Calculates the work done by a system during an isothermal (constant temperature) process for an ideal gas. Work done (W) = nRT * ln(V_final / V_initial). # Arguments - `system::System`: The thermodynamic system. - `final_volume::Float64`: The final volume of the system. # Returns - `Float64`: The work done by the system. # Throws - `DomainError`: If `final_volume` is not positive or if `system.volume` is not positive. """ function calculate_work_isothermal(system::System, final_volume::Float64) # For an isothermal process with an ideal gas, the temperature is constant. # How does the work calculation differ here compared to isobaric? # The pressure changes as volume changes (PV = constant). # The integral of P dV from V_initial to V_final gives us the work. # For an ideal gas, P = nRT/V. So, W = ∫(nRT/V) dV = nRT * ln(V_final/V_initial). initial_volume = system.volume # What are the potential issues with calculating a logarithm? # We need to ensure the arguments are valid. if initial_volume <= 0.0 throw(DomainError(initial_volume, "Initial volume must be positive for isothermal work calculation.")) end if final_volume <= 0.0 throw(DomainError(final_volume, "Final volume must be positive for isothermal work calculation.")) end return system.n_moles * R_GAS * system.temperature * log(final_volume / initial_volume) end # Example usage: # --- Test Case 1: Isobaric Expansion --- # Let's consider a system where pressure is held constant. println("--- Test Case 1: Isobaric Expansion ---") try # Initialize a system: 1 mole of gas at 1 atm (approx 101325 Pa) and 300 K. # Let's assume an initial volume that corresponds to these conditions for simplicity, # though the work calculation only needs the initial pressure and volume change. # For demonstration, let's set an initial volume. initial_system_iso = System(101325.0, 0.0244, 300.0, 1.0) # Approx 1 atm, 0.0244 m^3, 300 K, 1 mole # If the system expands by 0.01 m^3 at constant pressure, how much work is done? delta_v_iso = 0.01 # m^3 work_iso = calculate_work_isobaric(initial_system_iso, delta_v_iso) println("Initial System (Isobaric): Pressure = $(initial_system_iso.pressure) Pa, Volume = $(initial_system_iso.volume) m^3, Temperature = $(initial_system_iso.temperature) K, Moles = $(initial_system_iso.n_moles)") println("Change in Volume (Isobaric): $(delta_v_iso) m^3") println("Work done (Isobaric): $(work_iso) Joules") # Expected output: Work = P * ΔV = 101325.0 Pa * 0.01 m^3 = 1013.25 Joules println("Expected Work (Isobaric): 1013.25 Joules") catch e println("Error in Test Case 1: ", e) end println("\n") # --- Test Case 2: Isothermal Compression --- # Now, let's explore an isothermal process where temperature is constant. println("--- Test Case 2: Isothermal Compression ---") try # Initialize a system: 2 moles of gas at 2 atm (approx 202650 Pa) and 400 K. # Let's set an initial volume. initial_system_iso_thermo = System(202650.0, 0.0492, 400.0, 2.0) # Approx 2 atm, 0.0492 m^3, 400 K, 2 moles # If this system is compressed isothermally to half its initial volume, what is the work done? final_v_iso_thermo = initial_system_iso_thermo.volume / 2.0 # Half the initial volume work_iso_thermo = calculate_work_isothermal(initial_system_iso_thermo, final_v_iso_thermo) println("Initial System (Isothermal): Pressure = $(initial_system_iso_thermo.pressure) Pa, Volume = $(initial_system_iso_thermo.volume) m^3, Temperature = $(initial_system_iso_thermo.temperature) K, Moles = $(initial_system_iso_thermo.n_moles)") println("Final Volume (Isothermal): $(final_v_iso_thermo) m^3") println("Work done (Isothermal): $(work_iso_thermo) Joules") # Let's verify using the formula: W = nRT * ln(V_final / V_initial) # W = 2.0 * 8.31446261815324 * 400.0 * log(0.5) # W ≈ 6651.57 * (-0.693147) ≈ -4609.7 Joules expected_work_iso_thermo = 2.0 * R_GAS * 400.0 * log(0.5) println("Expected Work (Isothermal): $(expected_work_iso_thermo) Joules") catch e println("Error in Test Case 2: ", e) end println("\n") # --- Test Case 3: Invalid Input Handling --- # What happens if we provide invalid data? Let's test our error handling. println("--- Test Case 3: Invalid Input Handling ---") try # Attempt to create a system with negative volume invalid_system = System(100000.0, -0.01, 300.0, 1.0) println("Successfully created invalid system (this should not happen).") catch e println("Caught expected error for invalid volume: ", e) end try # Attempt to calculate isothermal work with non-positive final volume valid_system = System(100000.0, 0.02, 300.0, 1.0) calculate_work_isothermal(valid_system, 0.0) # Zero final volume println("Successfully calculated isothermal work with zero final volume (this should not happen).") catch e println("Caught expected error for zero final volume in isothermal work: ", e) end println("\n") ``` So far, we've laid the groundwork by defining a `System` and implementing work calculations for two common processes: isobaric and isothermal. Now, consider the first law of thermodynamics: ΔU = Q - W. This relates the change in internal energy (ΔU) to heat (Q) added to the system and work (W) done by the system. How might we extend our `System` struct and add functions to incorporate heat transfer and internal energy changes? What additional properties or constants might be needed for different types of substances (e.g., specific heat capacity)? | 0.6 | medium | 8 | 2,530 | [
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c4e592e9-dde3-4104-b9ee-c730b1ab5085 | ```Go assistive_technology Implementation Description | technology | creative_writing | ```Go # assistive_technology Implementation # Description: This Go program implements a basic assistive technology feature: a case converter. # It demonstrates the conversion of input strings to uppercase and lowercase, # illustrating fundamental string manipulation algorithms. package main import ( "fmt" "strings" ) // ConvertToUppercase converts a given string to its uppercase equivalent. // // Mathematical Definition: // Let S be an input string, S = s_1 s_2 ... s_n, where s_i is the i-th character. // The uppercase conversion function U(S) transforms each character s_i to its // corresponding uppercase character u(s_i). If s_i is already an uppercase // character or a non-alphabetic character, it remains unchanged. // // Formally, for each character c in S: // if c is a lowercase letter (e.g., 'a' through 'z'), then u(c) is its // corresponding uppercase letter (e.g., 'A' through 'Z'). // otherwise, u(c) = c. // // The resulting string is U(S) = u(s_1) u(s_2) ... u(s_n). // // Algorithm: // The implementation utilizes the `strings.ToUpper` function from Go's standard library, // which efficiently handles the character-by-character conversion based on Unicode principles. // // Error Handling: // This function does not inherently produce errors for valid string inputs. // The `strings.ToUpper` function is robust and handles various Unicode characters. // Edge cases such as empty strings are handled gracefully, returning an empty string. func ConvertToUppercase(input string) string { // The `strings.ToUpper` function performs the conversion. // It iterates through the string and applies the uppercase mapping for each character. // This operation has a time complexity of O(n), where n is the length of the input string, // as each character needs to be examined and potentially transformed. return strings.ToUpper(input) } // ConvertToLowercase converts a given string to its lowercase equivalent. // // Mathematical Definition: // Let S be an input string, S = s_1 s_2 ... s_n, where s_i is the i-th character. // The lowercase conversion function L(S) transforms each character s_i to its // corresponding lowercase character l(s_i). If s_i is already a lowercase // character or a non-alphabetic character, it remains unchanged. // // Formally, for each character c in S: // if c is an uppercase letter (e.g., 'A' through 'Z'), then l(c) is its // corresponding lowercase letter (e.g., 'a' through 'z'). // otherwise, l(c) = c. // // The resulting string is L(S) = l(s_1) l(s_2) ... l(s_n). // // Algorithm: // The implementation utilizes the `strings.ToLower` function from Go's standard library, // which efficiently handles the character-by-character conversion based on Unicode principles. // // Error Handling: // Similar to `ConvertToUppercase`, this function is robust for valid string inputs. // Empty strings are handled correctly, returning an empty string. func ConvertToLowercase(input string) string { // The `strings.ToLower` function performs the conversion. // This operation also has a time complexity of O(n), where n is the length of the input string. return strings.ToLower(input) } func main() { // The main function serves as an entry point for demonstrating the assistive technology features. // In a real-world application, this might be part of a larger UI or service. fmt.Println("Assistive Technology: Case Converter") } # Example usage: # Test Case 1: Standard mixed-case string # Input: "Hello World" # Expected Output: "HELLO WORLD" (for uppercase), "hello world" (for lowercase) # Explanation: Demonstrates conversion of both uppercase and lowercase letters. func testCase1() { input := "Hello World" expectedUpper := "HELLO WORLD" expectedLower := "hello world" actualUpper := ConvertToUppercase(input) actualLower := ConvertToLowercase(input) fmt.Printf("Test Case 1:\n") fmt.Printf(" Input: \"%s\"\n", input) fmt.Printf(" Expected Uppercase: \"%s\", Actual Uppercase: \"%s\"\n", expectedUpper, actualUpper) fmt.Printf(" Expected Lowercase: \"%s\", Actual Lowercase: \"%s\"\n", expectedLower, actualLower) if actualUpper == expectedUpper && actualLower == expectedLower { fmt.Println(" Result: PASSED") } else { fmt.Println(" Result: FAILED") } fmt.Println() } # Test Case 2: String with numbers and symbols # Input: "Assistive Tech 1.0!" # Expected Output: "ASSISTIVE TECH 1.0!" (for uppercase), "assistive tech 1.0!" (for lowercase) # Explanation: Verifies that non-alphabetic characters are preserved. func testCase2() { input := "Assistive Tech 1.0!" expectedUpper := "ASSISTIVE TECH 1.0!" expectedLower := "assistive tech 1.0!" actualUpper := ConvertToUppercase(input) actualLower := ConvertToLowercase(input) fmt.Printf("Test Case 2:\n") fmt.Printf(" Input: \"%s\"\n", input) fmt.Printf(" Expected Uppercase: \"%s\", Actual Uppercase: \"%s\"\n", expectedUpper, actualUpper) fmt.Printf(" Expected Lowercase: \"%s\", Actual Lowercase: \"%s\"\n", expectedLower, actualLower) if actualUpper == expectedUpper && actualLower == expectedLower { fmt.Println(" Result: PASSED") } else { fmt.Println(" Result: FAILED") } fmt.Println() } # Test Case 3: Empty string # Input: "" # Expected Output: "" (for both uppercase and lowercase) # Explanation: Tests the edge case of an empty input string. func testCase3() { input := "" expectedUpper := "" expectedLower := "" actualUpper := ConvertToUppercase(input) actualLower := ConvertToLowercase(input) fmt.Printf("Test Case 3:\n") fmt.Printf(" Input: \"%s\"\n", input) fmt.Printf(" Expected Uppercase: \"%s\", Actual Uppercase: \"%s\"\n", expectedUpper, actualUpper) fmt.Printf(" Expected Lowercase: \"%s\", Actual Lowercase: \"%s\"\n", expectedLower, actualLower) if actualUpper == expectedUpper && actualLower == expectedLower { fmt.Println(" Result: PASSED") } else { fmt.Println(" Result: FAILED") } fmt.Println() } func main() { fmt.Println("--- Running Assistive Technology Examples ---") testCase1() testCase2() testCase3() fmt.Println("--- Examples Complete ---") } ``` | 0.55 | low | 6 | 1,597 | [
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a046384e-a2d5-4036-a6aa-ddcf38c5e9d2 | ### Worked Examples: Proof | mathematics | proof | ### Worked Examples: Proof Theory Proof theory is a foundational area of mathematical logic that studies mathematical proofs themselves. It aims to formalize mathematical reasoning, analyze the structure of proofs, and understand the relationship between different logical systems and theories. Key concepts include formal systems, axioms, inference rules, and the properties of proofs such as consistency, completeness, and decidability. --- **Example 1: Foundation - Proving a Simple Proposition in Propositional Logic** **Problem Statement:** Prove that the implication $(P \land Q) \to P$ is a tautology using a natural deduction system. **Solution Steps:** 1. **Understand the Goal:** We need to construct a formal derivation (a proof) that shows the statement $(P \land Q) \to P$ is true in all interpretations of the propositional variables $P$ and $Q$. In natural deduction, this means deriving $P$ from the assumption $P \land Q$. 2. **Identify the Main Connective:** The main connective of the statement to be proven is the implication $\to$. To prove an implication $A \to B$, we typically assume $A$ and then derive $B$. 3. **Set up the Proof Structure:** * We will assume the antecedent of the main implication, which is $P \land Q$. * Our goal is to derive the consequent, which is $P$. * The structure will be: ``` 1. | P ∧ Q (Assumption) ... n. | P (Goal) n+1. (P ∧ Q) → P (Implication Introduction) ``` 4. **Apply Inference Rules to Reach the Goal:** * From the assumption $P \land Q$ (line 1), we can use the **Conjunction Elimination** (or $\land E$) rule. This rule states that if we have a conjunction $A \land B$, we can infer $A$ or infer $B$. * Applying $\land E$ to $P \land Q$ on line 1 allows us to derive $P$. 5. **Complete the Proof:** ``` 1. | P ∧ Q (Assumption) 2. | P (∧ E, 1) 3. (P ∧ Q) → P (→ I, 1-2) ``` * Line 2 is derived from line 1 using the Conjunction Elimination rule, extracting the left conjunct. * Line 3 is the final conclusion, derived using the **Implication Introduction** (or $\to$ I) rule. This rule states that if we can derive $B$ from the assumption $A$, then we can assert $A \to B$. The numbers 1-2 indicate that the assumption on line 1 was discharged in deriving line 2. **Key Insight:** This example demonstrates the fundamental strategy of proving implications in natural deduction: assume the antecedent and derive the consequent. It also showcases the basic inference rules of conjunction elimination and implication introduction, which are building blocks for more complex proofs. --- **Example 2: Application - Proving a Theorem in First-Order Logic** **Problem Statement:** Prove that for any function $f$ and any domain $D$, if $f$ is injective (one-to-one), then for any $x, y \in D$, if $f(x) = f(y)$, then $x = y$. Formal statement: $\forall x, y (f(x) = f(y) \to x = y)$. Assume the definition of injectivity is given as $\forall a, b (f(a) = f(b) \to a = b)$. **Solution Steps:** 1. **Formalize the Problem:** We are given the definition of injectivity: $\forall a, b (f(a) = f(b) \to a = b)$. We need to prove that this property holds for any $x, y$ in the domain. The statement to prove is effectively the definition itself, but we will demonstrate how to derive it formally. 2. **Identify Quantifiers and Main Connectives:** The statement to prove has universal quantifiers $\forall x, y$ and an implication $\to$ as the main connectives. 3. **Apply Quantifier Rules Strategically:** To prove a statement of the form $\forall x \phi(x)$, we typically introduce an arbitrary element (say, $c$) from the domain, assume $\phi(c)$, and then derive the conclusion. Similarly for $\forall y$. To prove $A \to B$, we assume $A$ and derive $B$. 4. **Construct the Proof:** * We will start by introducing arbitrary elements $x$ and $y$ from the domain. * We will assume the premise $f(x) = f(y)$. * Our goal is to derive $x = y$. ``` 1. ∀a, b (f(a) = f(b) → a = b) (Given Axiom/Definition of Injectivity) 2. | f(x) = f(y) (Assumption for →I) 3. | | f(c) = f(d) (Assumption for ∀I for 'a') 4. | | c = d (∀E, 1 applied to c, d) 5. | | f(c) = f(d) → c = d (→I, 3-4) 6. | ∀b (f(c) = f(b) → c = b) (∀I, 5 applied to 'b') 7. | ∀a, b (f(a) = f(b) → a = b) (∀I, 6 applied to 'c') 8. f(x) = f(y) → x = y (∀E, 7 applied to x, y) ``` * **Wait!** This is not the most efficient way. The above shows how to derive the statement from itself, which is trivial. A better approach is to assume the definition and then show it applies to specific $x, y$. **Revised Solution Steps (More Direct):** 1. **Start with the Definition:** We are given the formal definition of injectivity: $\forall a, b (f(a) = f(b) \to a = b)$. 2. **Introduce Arbitrary Elements:** To show that this property holds for *any* $x$ and $y$, we can use the **Universal Elimination** ($\forall E$) rule. This rule allows us to instantiate a universally quantified statement with any term from the domain. 3. **Apply Universal Elimination:** * From $\forall a, b (f(a) = f(b) \to a = b)$ (line 1), we can apply $\forall E$ to eliminate the quantifier for $a$, replacing $a$ with a specific, but arbitrary, term (let's call it $x$). This yields: $\forall b (f(x) = f(b) \to x = b)$. * Now, from $\forall b (f(x) = f(b) \to x = b)$, we can apply $\forall E$ again to eliminate the quantifier for $b$, replacing $b$ with another specific, but arbitrary, term (let's call it $y$). This yields: $f(x) = f(y) \to x = y$. 4. **Final Derivation:** ``` 1. ∀a, b (f(a) = f(b) → a = b) (Given Axiom/Definition of Injectivity) 2. ∀b (f(x) = f(b) → x = b) (∀E, 1 applied to 'a' as 'x') 3. f(x) = f(y) → x = y (∀E, 2 applied to 'b' as 'y') ``` **Alternative Approach (Using Assumptions for Clarity):** If we want to explicitly show the implication $f(x) = f(y) \to x = y$, we can use assumptions: ``` 1. ∀a, b (f(a) = f(b) → a = b) (Given Axiom/Definition of Injectivity) 2. | f(x) = f(y) (Assumption) 3. ∀b (f(x) = f(b) → x = b) (∀E, 1 applied to 'a' as 'x') 4. f(x) = f(y) → x = y (∀E, 3 applied to 'b' as 'y') 5. x = y (→E, 4 and 2) -- This step is incorrect as 4 is not directly used. Let's correct the alternative approach: 1. ∀a, b (f(a) = f(b) → a = b) (Given Axiom/Definition of Injectivity) 2. | f(x) = f(y) (Assumption) 3. ∀b (f(x) = f(b) → x = b) (∀E, 1 applied to 'a' as 'x') 4. f(x) = f(y) → x = y (∀E, 3 applied to 'b' as 'y') 5. x = y (→E, 4 and 2) -- This is still not quite right. The application of ∀E needs care. Corrected Alternative Approach: 1. ∀a, b (f(a) = f(b) → a = b) (Given Axiom/Definition of Injectivity) 2. | f(x) = f(y) (Assumption for →I) 3. | f(x) = f(y) → x = y (∀E, 1 applied to 'a' as 'x' and 'b' as 'y') 4. | x = y (→E, 3 and 2) 5. f(x) = f(y) → x = y (→I, 2-4) ``` This shows that if we assume $f(x)=f(y)$, we can derive $x=y$ using the general definition. **Key Insight:** This example highlights the crucial role of universal quantifiers and the **Universal Elimination** rule in applying general statements to specific (but arbitrary) instances. It also demonstrates how to structure proofs for implications involving quantified variables. The choice of whether to directly instantiate or use assumptions depends on the desired clarity and the specific proof system's rules. --- **Example 3: Advanced/Edge Case - Consistency Proof via Model Construction (Sketch)** **Problem Statement:** Sketch a proof that the set theory axiom $P$ is consistent, meaning there is no proof of falsehood (e.g., $\bot$) from $P$ and the axioms of first-order logic. **Solution Steps:** 1. **Understand Consistency:** Consistency in proof theory means that a formal system (or a set of axioms) does not allow for the derivation of a contradiction. A contradiction is typically represented by a statement $\bot$ (falsehood) or by deriving both a statement $A$ and its negation $\neg A$. 2. **Proof Method: Model Construction (Soundness of Inference Rules):** A common method to prove consistency is by constructing a model (an interpretation or a mathematical structure) in which all axioms of the system are true. If the inference rules of the system are sound (meaning they preserve truth), then if all axioms are true in a model, any statement provable from those axioms must also be true in that model. If falsehood ($\bot$) were provable, it would have to be true in the model, which is impossible. 3. **Sketch of Model Construction for a Simple Axiom Set:** * **System:** Let's consider a very simple propositional calculus with a single axiom $A$. * **Goal:** Prove consistency. * **Model:** We need to find an interpretation where $A$ is true. A truth assignment is a model. * **Construction:** * Define a truth assignment $\nu$ where $\nu(A) = \text{True}$. * For any propositional variables not in $A$, assign them arbitrarily (e.g., True). * **Verification:** * By construction, the axiom $A$ is true under $\nu$. * The inference rules of propositional logic (like Modus Ponens) are sound: if the premises are true under $\nu$, the conclusion is also true under $\nu$. * Therefore, any statement provable from $A$ must also be true under $\nu$. * Since $\bot$ is never true under any truth assignment, it cannot be proven from $A$. Thus, the system is consistent. 4. **Applying to Set Theory (Conceptual):** For a more complex system like Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory (ZF), proving consistency is much harder. It typically involves constructing models of ZF, such as the cumulative hierarchy ($V_\alpha$). * **Axiom Set:** ZF axioms. * **Goal:** Prove consistency of ZF. * **Model Construction (Conceptual):** Define a structure (e.g., the cumulative hierarchy $V = \bigcup_{\alpha \in Ord} V_\alpha$) and show that all ZF axioms hold true within this structure. This involves detailed verification of each axiom. * **Significance:** Gödel's Second Incompleteness Theorem shows that ZF (if consistent) cannot prove its own consistency. Therefore, proofs of consistency for strong systems like ZF often rely on assuming the consistency of a weaker underlying system (e.g., showing that if a simpler theory $T$ is consistent, then ZF is consistent). **Common Pitfalls:** * **Confusing Provability and Truth:** A statement can be true in a model but not provable within a system if the system is incomplete. Consistency is about provability of falsehood. * **Incorrect Model Construction:** Errors in defining the model or verifying that axioms hold in the model will invalidate the consistency proof. * **Assuming Soundness:** The entire method relies on the inference rules being sound. This is usually established separately. **Key Insight:** Consistency proofs often leverage the concept of models and the soundness of logical inference. Constructing a model where all axioms are satisfied demonstrates that no contradiction can be derived, as a contradiction would have to be true in that model. This connects proof theory with model theory. --- **Pattern Recognition:** * **Hierarchical Application of Rules:** Proofs often involve applying rules like $\forall E$ or $\to$ I to derive intermediate steps, which are then used with other rules to reach the final conclusion. * **Assumption Management:** Natural deduction heavily relies on managing assumptions, introducing them to derive consequences, and then discharging them (e.g., with $\to$ I or $\forall$ I). * **Structure Dictates Method:** The logical structure of the statement to be proven (e.g., implication, universal quantification) directly suggests the proof strategy. **When to Apply:** * **Formalizing Arguments:** When precise, unambiguous reasoning is required, as in mathematics and computer science. * **Analyzing Logical Systems:** To understand the properties of different logics (e.g., propositional, first-order, modal) and proof systems. * **Computer Science:** In theorem provers, automated reasoning systems, and verification of software and hardware. * **Foundations of Mathematics:** To explore the limits of formal systems (e.g., Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems) and the relationships between different mathematical theories (e.g., reverse mathematics). | 0.7 | medium | 6 | 3,409 | [
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5eded42b-2f85-4eb4-b1ea-e2c058316b3b | ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺔ ﻓﻨﻴﺔ ﻣﺘﺨﺼﺼﺔ | interdisciplinary | practical_application | ﻣﻮاﺻﻔﺔ ﻓﻨﻴﺔ ﻣﺘﺨﺼﺼﺔ
52040-2018-V1
ﺟﺮاﻓﻴﺎﺗﻮ ﻛﻮﻣﺒﻴﺖ
اﻟﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت اﻟﻤﺒﻴﻨﺔ ﻓﻲ ﻫﺬه اﻟﻤﻮاﺻﻔﺔ ﻗﺎﺋﻤﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ إﺧﺘﺒﺎرات ﻣﻌﻤﻠﻴﺔ وﺧﺒﺮات ﻋﻤﻠﻴﺔ. ﻧﻈﺮﴽ ﻹﺳﺘﺨﺪام اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺞ ﻓﻲ ﻇﺮوف ﺧﺎرﺟﺔ ﻋﻦ ﺗﺤﻜﻢ اﻟﺸﺮﻛﺔ ﻓﺈﻧﻨﺎ ﻻ ﻧﻀﻤﻦ إﻻ ﺟﻮدة اﻟﻤﻨﺘﺞ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ. ﻟﻠﺸﺮﻛﺔ اﻟﺤﻖ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻐﻴﻴﺮ أي ﻣﻦ اﻟﺒﻴﺎﻧﺎت ﺑﺪون ﺳﺎﺑﻖ إﻋﻼم.
www.protall.com
ت: ٠١١١٠٧٤/٠٢ )٣٠( ف: ١٤١١٠٧٤ )٣٠(
Technical Properties
Processing Information
Theoretical Coverage
Recommended Application System
Storage
Technical Data Sheet
GRAVIATO COMPETE
52040-2018-V1
Product Description
GRAVIATO COMPETE is a top quality texture coating based on Vinyl Copolymer that combines maximum protectionwith decorative textured appearance.
Features:
- Suitable for maximum weather condition protection.
- Excellent color stability
- Maximum abrasion and scuff resistance
Available in different quartz particle sizes for specific uses.
Substrate must be free of oil, algae, dirt and all other contaminants.
Product Should be well stirred before usage. Product should not be thinned more than 0.2% weight (about 40 grams water for every 20KG product)
3.5- 3.75 Kilogram/Sqm/Coat ( The Actual coverage depends on substrate nature and preparation, method of application, condition of tools, etc...)
- Substrate should be moisten.
- Apply the product using a metal trowel to a thickness more than the quartz particles (about 2 - 3 mm)
- Wait about 5 minutes then create the desired final texture using a plastic trowel. - The final texture depends on the last application direction (Horizontal - Vertical Circular...)
One year from date of production in original sealed package.
Product must be stored in well ventilated area away from direct sunlight, heat sources or freezing temperatures.
Health, Safety & Enviroment
Please observe the precautionary notice displayed on the container. Use under well ventilated conditions wearing suitable protective clothes.In case of skin contact wash with water and soap. In case of eye contact, wash thoroughly with plenty of water and seek medical attention.
Excess Paint should never be spilled in water sewers.
At all time local environmental laws and regulations should be maintained.
This information and all further technical advice is based on our present knowledge and experience. However, it implies no liability or other legal responsibility on our part. As application conditions are out of our control we can not guarantee but the quality of the product itself. PROTALL reserves the right to make any changes without prior notice.
For more Information please contact Technical Support
Factories & Technical Support: Km 25-26 Alex-Cairo road
Tel.: +203 4701110/20 Fax.: +203 4701141
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c2be5c73-f976-42fa-b734-a2888af4a61d | Beginning November all three | interdisciplinary | tutorial | Beginning November 5, all three stores will be open Mondays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Yes, our stores will be open 6 days a week – Monday through Saturday – beginning Monday, November 5. Archive for the ‘Beyond the ReStore’ Category Serving Up Style: Designers Fighting Lupus is Portland’s premier design event. Each year, prominent design teams are invited to create fantastic, stunning, and whimsical dining environments for a four-day showcase during the Portland Fall Home & Garden Show. Serving Up Style culminates with a fundraiser gala, auction, and awards ceremony. All proceeds from the event benefit the lupus awareness and service initiatives of Molly’s Fund Fighting Lupus. Getting selected to participate in this event is an honor. Angie Morse, owner of The Room Stylers, Anne Runde of Anne Runde Interiors and Chana Coleman of Everyday Styling – the talented design team that created the ReStore’s fabulous living room setting for last year’s Spring Home and Garden Show – enlisted the ReStore to help create their entry for Serving Up Style. The Room Stylers’ entry is titled “Nature’s Sky Box — where city chic meets rural rustic.” The designers wanted to capture the vibe and essence of what makes Portland such a cool place to live. They started with green living (in this case, repurposed pallet boards used to create a planter box and benches, reclaimed decking and trellis materials – constructed by Alex and Mark from the Washington County ReStore – LED lighting (for 85% less energy consumption), fresh inspired foods (all local), urban farming (veggies from the display’s own planter box), and beautiful scenery along with vibrant, engaged communities. The juxtaposition of urban and rustic creates opulence with a farm-fresh twist! With sustainability at the core, this delightful rooftop setting is meant to be shared. Imagine hazelnut crusted Dungeness crabcakes with herb-seasoned, grilled root vegetables. Greens plucked from the garden drizzled with fresh raspberry puree and a rich butternut squash soup. Finish with poached pears decadently dressed with Moonstruck dark chocolate. All of this accompanied by local libations—fruit liqueurs and brandies, wines, brews, and roasted coffees. The Design Team Each of the designers runs a multi-faceted design company offering interior design, remodeling, home staging and styling services, and also light commercial and outdoor projects. Angie Morse said, “We all strive to create unique, personal, inviting spaces for each and every client. For us, it’s a matter of listening to our clients’ life stories, respecting their treasures, and helping them discover their personal design style. With the same passion and energy we bring to our projects each day, we had so much fun creating this vignette for Serving Up Style. We were also very humbled by the response from our colleagues and vendors when we approached them with our ideas and need for assistance. We are truly grateful for the talent, generosity, and enthusiasm they brought to the project. ReStore rocks!!!” Don’t forget to vote! This event includes a People’s Choice award, and voting for the People’s Choice award goes live on houzz.com Thursday, October 4. Please vote for the Room Stylers and help them win the People’s Choice award! If you attended the Home and Garden Idea Fair in Clark County this year you saw lots of great home improvement ideas and probably discovered many creative things to put on your garden wish list. You also may have heard tons of pounding, excited chatter and lots of laughter. That commotion was the result of a four-way collaboration, born through heightened community awareness and networking between the Clark County Skills Center, Clark County Environmental Services, the Clark County Habitat for Humanity Store and our new Building Material Recovery Program. How did it come together? (Deep breath!) The Lifetime Fence Company in Vancouver contacted me about salvaging used cedar fencing from some of their teardown projects, and of course we were happy to oblige. We took the lumber to the Clark County HFH Store, processed it and set it aside for sale and for use in future projects. The environmental services folks approached the HFH Store about purchasing some wood for their summer kids projects (birdhouse making), and of course the HFH Store was happy to oblige. The environmental staff needed bird house parts cut and contacted the Clark County Skills Center about using its occupational training center for the wood work, and of course they were happy to oblige. At the fair with boxes of parts that needed assembly there were plenty of willing hands and smiling faces ready to oblige! I’m sure if we listened hard enough we would hear lots of newly-housed bird families across town saying, “Much obliged!” Thanks for the partnerships. This is a small but great example of what we can do when we work together, using everyone’s gifts to make all our worlds a better place. Once again, Umpqua Bank graciously gives us space in its Vancouver, WA branches to provide its customers with information about the Clark County Habitat for Humanity Store. We did this last year, too and it was a great success. Not only does this partnership showcases Umpqua’s commitment to the local community, it gives us an opportunity to inform people about our stores and our mission to support Habitat and keep usable materials out of the waste stream. We get to reach people who don’t know our stores are a great place to shop and a worthy destination for items they wish to donate. In March, we had displays in Umpqua’s Downtown and Mill Plain branches. This month our displays move to the Hazel Dell and Evergreen branches. Each Saturday in April, the HFH Store truck will park in an Umpqua Bank’s parking lot to collect materials donations. The truck will collect donations between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm and you can bring items to donate. Here’s the schedule. April 7 – Vancouver Downtown, 1400 Washington Street April 14 – Mill Plain, 12019 SE Mill Plain Blvd April 21 – Hazel Dell, 600 NE 99th St April 28 – Vancouver Evergreen Square, 16409 SE 1st St You may remember seeing Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East’s billboard campaign, “Habitat for Portland” around town last fall. After the billboards came down, ReStore Managers Shel Mae and Alex Bertolucci spent some time thinking about the best use for the billboards. The first thought was to display them at our ReStores, but then Alex suggested they be turned into reusable tote bags. The Billboards to Bags Project was born! With a little sewing experience under her belt, Shel Mae designed a simple, easy to assemble bag. Rob Maldonado, our Portland ReStore Warehouse Assistant, turned Shel’s drawings into hard board patterns, and Cindy Correll, our Marketing Manager, created labels for the bags. Our first cutting day was a huge success! Seven excited volunteers showed up to the Portland ReStore for the project. Our first banner was so big that when we unrolled it, it took up an entire aisle way in the ReStore! Just managing the size and getting it cut was a major undertaking. But by the end of the day, we had 135 bags ready to sew. With the help of a ReStore volunteer, we discovered Spooltown, a small, locally owned and operated sewing factory on N. Williams Ave. Spooltown worked with us to finalize the pattern and gave us a very reasonable price to produce the bags. The billboard bags turned out great, and they are for sale now for only $10 each at our Portland, Beaverton and Vancouver stores. Watch our video that tells the story. Through our new Building Material Recovery service, we can say “yes” when you ask us to remove your cabinets, sinks, appliances, doors and other items. You’ll get a tax deduction receipt for the items you donate to the ReStore, and we’ll leave your site clean and ready for the next phase of your project. Because a few people in our group work in the medical field, we were offered a tour of one of the local hospitals. We toured the Emergency Department, Labor and Delivery, the Operating Room and standard care wards. One of the physicians who talked to us was a woman who has worked at the hospital for 34 years. It was interesting to compare and contrast the care provided. Great care was shown, especially to hospitalized children. Rooms were brightly decorated and there were places for parents so that they could be present to ease their children’s fears. Back at the work sites, the building continued. At the first house, some of us were finishing the support for the roof while others were applying a cement wall covering to both the inside and the outside of the house. After we placed the final roof supports, we started placing the metal roofing. The roofing was an orange color to provide contrast with the red, blue and green roofs on nearby houses. At the second house, we cut and placed insulation into the ceiling and prepared the floor for the pouring of its concrete finish. The son of the future owner of the house applied the outer cement surface to the house. On our final day, we continued to place roofing, apply cement to the walls and pour the floor in the second house. We also sealed the window casings. As we neared the end of our build time, we could stand back and see how far we had come. From arriving to find a plot marked out with string to now seeing a nearly finished home, we could all sit back and feel a great sense of accomplishment in what we had done in a relatively short period of time. Olna, the lady from the first house, prepared a thank you and farewell meal of dumplings, fruit, cheese, juice and tea and gave each of us a gift to say thank you. After saying our goodbyes, we went to the second house to bid our farewell to the family. The father also gave us a small gift to say thank you and told us that he had been talking to his wife every day and giving her updates on the house. She was in the southern part of Mongolia about 600 miles away and had yet to see her new house. After saying our goodbyes, we headed back to our hotel to pack for our return to Ulaan Baatar. We had dinner that evening with the local Habitat people and said our final farewells. We left early the next morning in order to get to Ulaan Baatar by late morning to allow for some local sight seeing and final preparations for everyone’s departure. Following local sightseeing, we were treated to a show of Mongolian dance and singing. The folk music and dance was very festive and upbeat. Afterwards, we had dinner at one of the local restaurants and went back to our hostel for our final night as a group. At the hostel we said our farewells as we prepared to part ways. Some people were planning to return home, others would continue on trips to the Gobi Desert, China and other locations. We came together as strangers and left as friends. If you have the opportunity for this type of trip, I would recommend it. It was a unique experience that should not be missed. After visiting the monastery at Amarbayasgalant on Saturday, we went north on Sunday to visit the Mother Tree, one of the holiest sites for the Mongolian people. Here, people and families visit from around the country to offer gifts and prayers. People often picnic in the shadow of the tree as many view this as an all-day event. After the weekend was over, we headed back to the worksites to continue building the houses. Teams were split into different groups, with one group concentrating on filling any gaps in the walls with cement and others working to place the 2” x 6” lumber on top of the walls in order to place the ceiling support pieces. Here we encountered our only power tool of the build – a drill – which we used to drill holes in the wood positioned at the top of the wall to help anchor the roof to the walls. Next, we placed the joists on the roof, spacing them to allow us to place the previous cut pieces of wood that would become the ceiling and also support the rafters of the roof itself. We could tell the trust level between us and the building staff was increasing as there was less supervision over the various projects, allowing the local staff to concentrate on the next steps in the build process. A simple series of words in English and Mongolian were used to convey messages to help speed along the building process so as not to rely too much on the interpreter that was with us. While teams were placing the rafters, another group was working from inside the house, cutting smaller blocks of gypsum to place in between the joists and cementing them in place. While this work was going on, cattle would wander in and out of the worksite, grazing for food and watching us work. After awhile, they would lazily leave and move on to their next grazing site. Raising the rafters began to give the house its shape. Rafters were carefully placed and fitted to prepare for the placement of the metal roof. The frame for an external attic door was placed on one end. With no attic access from inside the house, a ladder was placed on the outside to allow the owner to access the attic area. Towards the end of the day, a crew started to place the windows. The future owner of the house was seen standing inside staring out through the window with a huge smile. It was a fitting end to the day. One of the ladies with the build group also works for an organization that provides eye glasses to women. She brought her glasses with her, and with the help of the interpreter, was able to meet with more than a dozen local women and provide them with reading glasses. Over the next couple of days, we will finish the roof, insulation and frame the door. Though everyone in the group is tired by the end of the day, morale continues to stay high and everyone continues to look forward to continuing building the houses. The third installment in Dan’s Mongolia adventure. We have completed our first week of building in Darkhan, Mongolia. After a team breakfast, we started our second day building ceiling supports and rafters for the house. This entailed measuring, sawing and nailing – no experience necessary. Everyone on the team had the opportunity to try their hand at everything. After we completed the rafters, we shifted to cutting 1’x4’ boards into 65 cm boards for what would become the inside ceiling. This required using several teams as we needed 360 boards for the house. Near the end of the morning, we were informed that we would be building an additional house. After lunch, we went to the new site. There, the foundation had been poured, and waiting for us were large stacks of polystyrene-concrete composite blocks. The larger of the blocks weighed about 45 pounds each and were around 2 x 1 x 1.5 ft in size. People in the group went around picking up the blocks to test them for weight. We mixed concrete, and the workers from Mongolia who were overseeing the build showed us how to correctly place the blocks. (I cannot comment enough on the patience of the build crew with us – they are great to work with!) The team divided into cement makers, block lifters and block placers, and the work began. With the guidance of the local builders, we laid the blocks, taking into account placement of the windows and the door. We used crosscut saws to cut blocks to size. We were able to place three rows of blocks before the end of the day. The following day we went back to the second site to continue placing the block walls. We got to the site to find that the water in the container used to make the cement was frozen. We chipped out the ice and the day continued. We placed a fourth level of large blocks before switching to blocks about one-half the size of the original ones. Three levels of the half-size blocks were placed before capping the walls with a quarter-size block. The ends at the upper levels were started by one of the workers who looked like an acrobat as she moved easily around the walls. We finished our part of this wall by the end of the morning. In the afternoon, we went back to our original site. Piles of blocks for the walls were waiting for us. However, unlike the polystyrene block at the other site, we were greeted by blocks of gypsum. While roughly the same size as the other blocks, they weighed about twice as much. We were told one reason for the difference was the material available at the time. The other difference was that there was only one size block – large. At this house, the large blocks would be stacked up six high through a series of scaffolding and steps made from the blocks themselves. The work was much slower as we needed two people to move each block. By the end of the week, we had nearly completed the walls of the second house. Everyone wanted to stay Friday evening to finish out the walls, but our hosts said we were already ahead of schedule and that we should take time to enjoy ourselves. The evening meals presented their own opportunities for adventure as we would go to restaurants without the aid of a guide. Most menus had no English subtitles and as no one spoke enough Mongolian to adequately translate, meals were generally selected through the use of pictures. There were times that the picture did not match the meal provided, but it was tasty nonetheless. On Saturday, we took a three-hour van ride to one of the oldest and more revered monasteries in Mongolia. The last hour of this trip was over dirt roads which twisted and turned and dipped in all directions. We finally saw the Monastery, which was at the end of the valley on a large open plain. The Monastery is still in use today and houses about 50 monks of different ages, from young boys to older men. During religious holidays, the ranks swell to around 1000 monks as monks from all over the region converge on the monastery. We arrived during prayer, but were allowed to observe and walk around the temple. There were signs of reconstruction going on at the Monastery, and piles of new brick to replace the old ones were all over. Visitors can walk all over the grounds and visit any of the shrines. Herds of goats, horses and cattle were all around grazing on the grass. They are evidently very used to having people around, as they do not run when people approach them but rather walk away casually if people get too close to them. We ended our day with an authentic Mongolian BBQ along a river near the Monastery. The white linen-covered table with folded napkins and wine glasses was a stark contrast to the fact that we were in a large grazing field for the local animals. The cattle came right up to us, curious as what we were up to, no doubt not used to visitors in their domain. A meal of mutton, potatoes, salad and soup was provided, with wine and juice to drink. It was a great meal in the quiet of the valley. When we finished, we packed up for our drive back to our hotel. We will have one more day to visits the sites before beginning our second week of work. Alisia Gonzales-Hankins lives with her daughter and three sons in a house in northeast Portland that they’ve rented for 12 years. Alejandra is 19, Dominique is 15, and her twins, DeMario and DeMarco, are 6. Over the years, their neighborhood has become much more affluent than it was when they first arrived. Rents in the neighborhood have doubled, but Alisia has managed to keep her rent low by not complaining about things that are wrong with the home. They recently found out that the house has lead-based paint, which the twins have been exposed to. The soil also tested positive for lead, and now they cannot use it for gardening. The bathroom has mold on the ceiling and most of the pipes throughout the home are rusted. Aside from these problems, the house is too small and cramped for the number of people in their family. “I’m stuck,” Alisia said. “I won’t be able to find anything affordable in this neighborhood anymore, so it’s better to keep my mouth shut and keep a roof over my head.” After learning about the lead paint problems, Alisia, who works as a medical assistant, decided to explore housing options and applied to Habitat for Humanity. “It was time for ownership,” Alisia said. “Habitat’s no-interest mortgage and sweat equity program is very, very appealing. I am looking forward to saving money, and I know how lucky I am to have this opportunity.” Alisia and her family will be one of the first six families to move into Habitat’s Rivergate Commons neighborhood in North Portland. The Campbell Group, a first-time sponsor, has committed to raise the funds needed to build this home. “I’m excited to move into something that is new and that I can call my own,” Alisia said. “I’m familiar with the area, and I’ve already met a few of my neighbors. It will be nice to live in a close community and be able to garden without fear of lead in your food.” Although construction on the homes was recently started, a community garden has already been established at Rivergate Commons and is ready to welcome the new homeowners. | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 4,526 | [
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421fcce6-c817-42a1-b60f-f58e93912263 | conspiracy theory originally meant | technology | research_summary | A conspiracy theory originally meant the "theory" that an event or phenomenon was the result of conspiracy between interested parties; however, from the mid-1960s onward, it is often used to denote ridiculous, misconceived, paranoid, unfounded, outlandish or irrational theories. The problem is this results in possibly-rational conspiracy theories getting lost in the midst of the noise of newsworthy but disingenuous ideas such as New World Order or the Moon landing hoax.
Daniel Pipes, in an early essay "adapted from a study prepared for the CIA", attempted to define which beliefs distinguish 'the conspiracy mentality' from 'more conventional patterns of thought'. He defined them as: appearances deceive; conspiracies drive history; nothing is haphazard; the enemy always gains power, fame, money, and sex.
Scope and rationality
Because the term conspiracy theory has been used in the media to denote grand conspiracy theories involving hundreds or thousands of people as well as plausible things, such as Nazis themselves starting the Reichstag fire, there has been some effort by a few scholars to denote those conspiracy theories that are plausible from those that are irrational/delusional/paranoid ramblings.
One such effort is to call a plausible conspiracy theory a theory of conspiracy while another is to separate the broad concept of conspiracy theory into the broad categories of warranted and unwarranted.
Warranted conspiracy theories tend to be small in scope requiring only a small group or be reasonably easy to cover-up. A crucial litmus test is whether any of those who must have been involved or in the know, has ever leaked information. It is a repeatable feature of bogus conspiracy theories that they involve very large numbers of people, not one of whom has ever betrayed the conspiracy. Watergate, the classic conspiracy, was busted in part because of Mark "Deep Throat" Felt, who was a former confidant of J. Edgar Hoover. The more people who are or must be in the know, the less likely it is that the conspiracy will remain secret, and the more certain it becomes that the absence of any leak is indicative that the conspiracy does not exist.
Here is a short list of warranted conspiracy theories:
Al-Qaeda was responsible for the 9/11 attacks
Burr conspiracy (Former vice president Aaron Burr's idiotic plan to set up a nation for himself by claiming land in the Southwest and possibly stealing land from Mexico)
Business Plot (ie. a plot by fascist sympathizers to overthrow FDR in 1933)
Al Capone was behind the Saint Valentine's Day massacre
CIA drug trafficking
Unwarranted conspiracy theories, on the other hand, tend to gravitate to the grandiose to the point that they approach lunacy. The existence of warranted conspiracy theories, especially when they are later proven to be true, helps fuel a conspiracy mentality that sees conspiracies everywhere and sees anyone denying said conspiracy as part of it.
Classification of conspiracy theories
In his book Culture of Conspiracy, Michael Barkun (a political scientist specializing in conspiracy theories and fringe beliefs) defines three types of conspiracy theories:
Event conspiracy: In which a conspiracy is thought to be responsible for a single event or brief series of events, e.g. JFK assassination conspiracies.
Systemic conspiracy: A broad conspiracy perpetrated by a specific group in an attempt to subvert government or societal organizations, e.g. Freemasonry.
Super-conspiracy: Hierarchical conspiracies combining systemic and event conspiracies in which a supremely powerful organization controls numerous conspiratorial actors, e.g. the New World Order or Reptoids controlling a number of interlocking conspiracies.
Conspiracy theory checklist
Don't count on converting a conspiracy theorist. However, some questions can determine if a conspiracy theory is warranted or not.
How large is the supposed conspiracy?
How many people are part of this conspiracy?
Are there enough of them to carry out the plan?
What infrastructure and resources does it need?
How much time and money did it take and where did this money come from?
If there are many thousands of conspirators, how are they organized?
Where are the secret conferences held?
How do they keep track of membership?
If they are organised through known channels or entities, how do they keep non-members who work there from uncovering the conspiracy?
For instance, the idea that the Nazi themselves set the Reichstag fire would only require a handful of men and minimal amount of money to pull off while something like faking the Moon landing would require tens of thousands if not more to carry out; the rock samples alone might require a decade to falsify and filming would take an airtight soundstage orders of magnitude larger than any known vacuum chamber.
Who gains what from the conspiracy and for what price?
Is this the easiest way of gaining it? If not, why was it chosen over the easiest way?
If it is an old conspiracy — who gains what from maintaining it?
Again, the Nazis used the Reichstag fire to scapegoat the communists, it is considered an important factor in their rise to power, and it is hard to imagine that there was an easier way to do it. Conversely, while faking the Moon landing might have been a way to have something to show for the Apollo project, the simpler solution would have been to actually land on the Moon. Also, Richard Nixon is dead, and no one in power has any reason to care about making sure everyone thinks we went to the Moon while he was president.
How likely is it to remain covered up if it has gone on for a long time?
If there are thousands of conspirators, and the conspiracy has gone on for decades, why have none of them defected?
Why have none of them leaked the story?
If many conspirators are dead, why have none of them told the truth on their deathbeds, or in their wills?
There are many intelligence agencies associated with rival nations, with the ability to expose secrets. If, say, the United States government is running a global conspiracy, why have the French, Russian, or Chinese intelligence agencies never revealed it, to cause a major scandal in the United States (if all intelligence agencies are involved, see #2)? If they have, when and where did they do so?
It should be noted that with government-based conspiracy theories one can have issues with the fact there are things about WWI, 100 years ago, that are still classified and therefore unknown to the general public, nullifying these types of questions even with a skeptic - however, these involve what might be termed "rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty" and usually there is significant supporting evidence from other sources.
Does belief in this theory require accepting inherently contradictive premises that the conspiring entities are incredibly competent, bone stupid, organized, clever, and hopelessly incompetent -- all at the same time?
A notorious example: Chemtrails. If the U.S. government wished to use chemicals to have effects at ground level, high-altitude dispersion would be the most expensively, stupidly ineffective approach imaginable (as well as readily detected by, say, spectrographs and air sampling). So this theory would require believing in an entity (the U.S. government) that is well-resourced, competent, clever, well-advised, and at the same time hopelessly stupid.
Other examples are "secrets" simultaneously well and carefully kept by extremely powerful and aggressive entities, and known to one or (especially) more "bozos on the bus," who know all about it and talk about them openly on the Web and in real life. Apart from chemtrails a common example is the highly organized and thoroughly secret system of concentration camps operated by FEMA, an agency famous for its amazingly chaotic, clumsy, and ineffective handling of rescue and recovery after Katrina. Alternatively, use any other intensely secret program that could be easily discovered and verified by anyone with a common piece of scientific equipment (or Google).
Denial is strongly linked with conspiracies in two senses. In one, the conspiracy theorist is in denial of the "official story," which is more often than not the one supported by facts. However, in the second sense, anyone denying the existence of a conspiracy inadvertently proves that it must exist. Denial of on-going conspiracies can be taken as proof that said employees are "in on" whatever conspiracy they are busily denying. Usually, the more they deny, the more conspiracy theorists will take it as proof — because, well, "they would say that, wouldn't they!" Furthermore, if people do not deny the theory, this can also be taken as proof on the grounds that "it has never been denied." This applies equally to anyone involved in a large, perhaps mysterious, enterprise, such as "scientists," "the Army," "automobile manufacturers," "Big Science/Petroleum/Tobacco/Florists" etc. That this entire line of reasoning is circular hardly needs pointing out.
A conspiracy theory becomes a total crackpot conspiracy theory when all evidence that might disprove the theory instead becomes co-opted as proof of the "cover-up" of said theory; requiring loyalty, resources, and competence on the part of the conspirators far in excess of what any actual conspiracy can muster.
"Conspiracy theory" can also be used as a snarl word to dismiss a valid worry that a group is up to something.
Another example would be the discovery of COINTELPRO. People such as the Black Panthers and Abbie Hoffman suspected that the FBI had a covert program dedicated to tracking, discrediting and destroying them, however they were largely written off as paranoid radicals finding a way to blame the man for their failures. Then, lo and behold, the FBI reveals its COINTELPRO and proves that they were actually correct.
A skeptic must always seek out the truth, even if it does very occasionally end up proving those "nutjobs" right. Considering the sheer number of conspiracies, however, it's inevitable that one or two of them might just be right, but this by no means says that they are generally valid — once a conspiracy theory has been "proven" it ceases to be a conspiracy theory in this sense and just becomes a conspiracy.
Remember, you're not paranoid if They really are out to get you.
What They don't want you to know
One of the most successful driving forces behind the spread and uptake of conspiracy theories is the entire concept that they're secret and forbidden pieces of information. This goes far beyond them being merely "juicy" like celebrity gossip but right to the heart of how we place value on information.
Things become valuable for their rarity, and occasionally for their utility, although a very common but highly useful thing is still cheap; contrast iron and wood for construction with gold and silver, which have useful electronic conduction properties or novel chemical applications but their price is derived from their rarity. If it wasn't for this rarity they would be just used rather than being held in high regard for specialist applications. The same applies to information — rarity increases value. And just as we can value useless things because they are rare, we can still value information that is rare regardless of its truth value. This is something that has wider reaching consequences in almost all forms of woo. Fad diets, for example, display this particular trope very well as healthy eating advice is simple, effective and "free" — but make it some "secret trick" and people will buy into it happily despite a free and effective alternative being available.
Within the realm of conspiracy theories, information is highly valuable — indeed, it is made valuable by becoming part of of the conspiracy. "What They don't want you to know" is a phrase that is heard and seen everywhere in conspiracy land. Because if information is suppressed by Them to keep it away from you it must be secret, it must be rare, it must be valuable. It's the same force that drives people to brag about a band that only they have heard of, or say "I know something you don't know," even though this defeats the purpose; nothing is cooler than knowing something someone else doesn't. The problem with conspiracies is that people mistake such hoarding value for truth value, i.e., if information is suppressed by Them to keep it away from you it must be secret, it must be rare, it must be valuable, it must be true. Therefore the trope continues to be used to add value, and the illusion of truth, to information.
There are a few other subtle factors at play to enhance this. The idea of information being suppressed and withheld romanticises the idea of the conspiracy. If knowing something that others don't is a big, fat, multi-layered chocolate cake, then being the underdog and fighting against the people who want to stop you is the rich, orgasm-inducing, triple-chocolate icing that spells your name and shouts "happy birthday" with the load of sparklers that gracefully sits atop it. A figure of hate and mistrust to aim emotions at enhances the experience; the Illuminati, the mainstream media, it really doesn't matter so long as it's something to absorb additional hatred and scorn. Thus the "Them" (always capitalise it — always), reinforces the special nature of the information that the conspiracy theory purports to reveal.
The knowledge suppression aspect (for example, free energy suppression) plays nicely into our thinking about the abhorrence of censorship and the want to do something good in the world. Meanwhile, the "Them" aspect plays nicely into the distrust and hatred people hold for corporations, governments or any organisation that exists in the abstract rather than personal. It's easy to demonise an institution, a person less so. When a skeptic wanders into a conspiracy theorist discussion to refute facts, the ad hominem responses of conspiracy advocates tend to be of the type "you work for the Illuminati," "you're paid by Big Oil," "you're a NASA shill," or one of countless other very similar such accusations. It's never "you are the Illuminati" or "you work for David Smales, who lives at 45 9th Avenue with a wife and two children and another on the way, who plays golf at the weekend, likes his pet dog and just happens to be the head of Big Oil". No, They are faceless and easy targets. Even in the circumstances when conspiracy theorists are capable of pointing the finger at a person they can identify outright — such as the pilot in charge of the AC-130 flying over Washington DC during the 9/11 attacks that is accused of dropping wreckage to "fake" the attack on the Pentagon — charges are always accompanied by phrases like "perhaps he didn't know what he was doing or perhaps he was following orders and wasn't aware." Even further, with Bob Lazar, who claimed to work at Area 51, no one seems bothered by who he worked for or with there, it's always faceless government. They are an easy target because They can't be personified.
These factors up the value conspiracy theorists ascribe to information, but unfortunately for them such clichés don't comment on the truth value of such information - in fact, they probably count against such things being true.
Latching to tragedy
An unfortunate and sometimes callous tendency of a die hard conspiracy buff is to instantly claim that a tragedy, be it a shooting, bombing, suicide, or stubbing their toe in the morning, is by some way fabricated by or the fault of the government. This is often done as a form of confirmation bias, motivated primarily by the earnest fervor and outrage that typically dominates a conspiracy theorist's life. Sometimes, such claims are also made cynically, either for political or financial profit.
An even more unfortunate corollary of this is that any attempts at alternative explanations or deviations from orthodoxy are easily smeared as "conspiracy theories", and an overwhelming sentiment thus obtains where tragedies such as mass shootings, bombings, or suicides are "sacred" or "forbidden", and any discussion, whether in good faith or not, is fundamentally disrespectful. This line of reasoning is much more often used cynically by political figures to stifle discussion which could potentially reveal their incompetence, malfeasance, or general scumminess.
Misperception of social systems
Social systems do exhibit complex forms of order and integration which emerge from the non-intentional consequences of intentional action; these emergent orders can be mistaken for conspiracies by people who have no real concept of social structure and therefore believe that every aspect of society must be the product of someone's will. For instance, "free" capitalist markets tend to generate oligarchies or even monopolies wherever economies of scale grant competitive advantages and/or where there is a high transaction cost for consumers who switch suppliers. For an observer who naively believes that a free market really always is a level playing field, the formation of oligopolies seems like an anomaly, which the conspiracy theory explains.
A variation on this is found when practices that are common in one context are not generally known to the wider public. For instance, the intelligence agencies of the US and USSR during the Cold War routinely shared information which was kept secret from the citizens of both countries. In business, certain levels of collusion among competitors, especially in oligopolistic markets, are fairly common. Such practices look conspiratorial to outsiders and may even be conspiratorial in a strict sense of the term but have little in common with the fantastic conspiracies postulated by crackpots.
A third form of this misperception occurs when conspiracy theorists assume, on the basis of ignorance and/or stereotyped thinking, that the group who is ostensibly responsible for something could not possibly have done that thing. For instance, conspiracy theories postulating that examples of ancient monumental architecture (the Egyptian or Mayan pyramids, Stonehenge, the Easter Island statues) must have been the product of aliens or whatever usually depend on a serious underestimation of the engineering skills and technological know-how of the actual human beings on the scene.
The 9/11 attacks provide an example of all three forms of this misperception. Many powerful American individuals and institutions benefited from the attacks, including the Bush regime itself and its allies in the military-industrial complex. However, this is in no way an indication that the attacks were an American conspiracy; this is just how global geopolitics works: when something major and unexpected happens, one interest group or another will find a way to benefit from it. As Noam Chomsky has pointed out, 9/11 conspiracy theories actually get in the way of a realistic understanding of global geopolitics and the often amoral rules by which it is played. Likewise, in the immediate aftermath of the attacks the Bush regime acted quickly to return to Saudi Arabia high-ranking Saudi officials and members of the Bin Laden family who were in the US at the time; this might seem conspiratorial to the average American but is consistent with standard diplomatic practice. Third, as Immanuel Wallerstein has observed, 9/11 truthers under-estimate the actual organizational capacity of Al-Qaida.
One common theme in conspiracy theories is that if one conspiracy theory is real, then all the others have to be as well. If 9/11 is an inside job, then the Illuminati are real. If Michael Jackson/Tupac/(Insert Celeb here) is alive, then NASA is concealing evidence of intelligent extraterrestrials.
This is not correct. If later evidence does show 9/11 to be an inside job (very unlikely, however possible), it doesn't follow that Sandy Hook was a false flag operation.
There are, however, a group of CTs that group ALL Conspiracy Theories into one big one. Every tragedy was caused to distract from the real problems. War was caused to further the plans (or two Illuminati bloodlines wanted to duke it out), a world event was staged to distract us, and celeb death was designed to hide their whistleblowing along with every secret society being created to further their plans.
Conspiracy theory - RationalWiki
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cdd03dc7-0e97-430f-8197-6808f30cae97 | Modello Formaggio Svizzero Illustrazione | science | historical_context | Modello a Formaggio Svizzero Illustrazione dei fattori che portano all'incidente. Fonte: FAA, adattato dal modello a formaggio svizzero di James Reason Il modello a formaggio svizzero è un framework di sicurezza utilizzato nell'aviazione per comprendere come gli incidenti possano verificarsi. Immagina fette di formaggio svizzero, dove ogni fetta rappresenta uno strato di difesa che previene un incidente. Ogni strato ha dei fori, che rappresentano potenziali fallimenti, che se allineati con i fori degli altri strati, possono creare un percorso per un incidente. L'idea è che nessuno strato sia perfetto e ogni strato abbia dei fori. Se più strati sono presenti, rappresentano la difesa dell'organizzazione contro il rischio e, nell'aviazione, possono prevenire un incidente. Tuttavia, se i fori di questi strati si allineano, può verificarsi un percorso chiaro per un incidente. Per quanto riguarda il caso di questo incidente, i tre fori allineati che hanno portato all'incidente includevano errori di progettazione, organizzativi e umani. 1. Errore di progettazione Il Boeing 767 includeva un sistema di avviso di livello basso di carburante a 2000 libbre di carburante totale. Questo avviso non si è verificato nell'incidente a causa di un errore di progettazione che ha reso il sistema di avviso non indipendente dal calcolo base della quantità di carburante nel FQIS. Come progettato, il FQIS aveva due canali indipendenti, ciascuno con la propria alimentazione e contenuto in una scatola di alluminio. Se un canale falliva, il processore passava automaticamente all'altro canale e continuava a fornire dati sulla quantità di carburante sugli indicatori della cabina di pilotaggio. Il sistema era progettato in modo che nessun singolo guasto causasse la perdita di entrambi i canali, e questo era garantito da caratteristiche di progettazione che includevano il passaggio automatico del canale quando un canale difettoso veniva rilevato o si verificava una perdita di alimentazione. Tuttavia, un'indagine sull'incidente ha rivelato un difetto di produzione nell'alimentazione del canale 2. Questo difetto ha causato una riduzione della corrente e un fallimento nel fornire l'indicazione della quantità di carburante in qualsiasi serbatoio da quel canale e ha impedito il passaggio al canale operativo, nonostante il circuito fosse chiuso. Di conseguenza, senza ridondanza disponibile e senza isolamento del sistema di carburante che avrebbe fornito un segnale agli indicatori dei serbatoi, non c'era indicazione della quantità di carburante. Riprogettazione Al momento dell'incidente, nonostante il 14 CFR 25.903 richiedesse l'isolamento del sistema di carburante come protezione per i motori, i processori del sistema di carburante del Boeing 767 non erano isolati serbatoio-serbatoio poiché tutti i indicatori di quantità di carburante dei serbatoi erano stati colpiti. Quando si è tentato il passaggio, a causa del circuito chiuso per il canale 2, la perdita di alimentazione nel canale 2 ha causato una lettura vuota e il canale 1 non era disponibile. Insieme, questo ha impedito qualsiasi indicazione di quantità da essere visualizzata per qualsiasi serbatoio. Poiché ogni canale non è riuscito a fornire l'isolamento della visualizzazione serbatoio-serbatoio, gli indicatori di carburante non hanno fornito alcuna indicazione dopo il guasto del canale. Di conseguenza, con tutti gli indicatori di carburante vuoti, l'equipaggio non è riuscito a osservare alcun carburante rimanente in qualsiasi serbatoio o a ricevere un avviso di basso livello di carburante. Dopo l'incidente, Boeing ha riveduto la progettazione del sistema di carburante del 767 per garantire l'isolamento del sistema in conformità con il 14 CFR Parte 25. La nuova norma richiede che qualsiasi guasto del sistema di propulsione influisca solo su un motore per garantire l'operazione sicura del motore rimanente. Questo isolamento del sistema, comunemente chiamato "progettazione a muro di mattoni", avrebbe protetto ciascun processore sull'aeromobile in incidente per essere operativamente indipendente quando forniva le letture degli indicatori di carburante per ciascun serbatoio. Con questa riprogettazione, qualsiasi guasto relativo a un serbatoio non si sarebbe propagato, né avrebbe influenzato né disattivato l'indicatore di carburante di qualsiasi altro serbatoio. Illustrazione del sistema a canale doppio. Fonte: FAA basato su The Boeing Company. Illustrazione dell'isolamento del sistema. Fonte: FAA basato su The Boeing Company. 2. Errori organizzativi Dispatch improprio Diagramma del bastoncino per misurare la quantità di carburante. Fonte: FAA, basato su The Boeing Company. L'aeromobile è stato dispatchato da Edmonton a Montreal attraverso Ottawa in base all'articolo MEL 28-41-2 poiché solo un canale del processore del carburante funzionava correttamente e il meccanico ha ripristinato le indicazioni del carburante nella cabina di pilotaggio aprendo e fissando il circuito in posizione aperta. Tuttavia, l'aeromobile è stato successivamente dispatchato impropriamente da Montreal a Edmonton attraverso Ottawa a causa del non rispetto di tutte le disposizioni richieste del MEL 28-41-2. In questo caso, poiché il circuito del canale del processore non è stato lasciato aperto, non c'erano indicazioni della quantità di carburante in nessuno dei tre indicatori dei serbatoi. Operare l'aeromobile con più di un indicatore di carburante non funzionante non è permesso dal MEL. Domanda: Quale parte delle Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) richiedeva l'isolamento del sistema di carburante? Risposta: 14 CFR Parte 25 Domanda: Perché l'aeromobile è stato dispatchato impropriamente da Montreal a Edmonton? Risposta: Perché le disposizioni richieste del MEL 28-41-2 non sono state rispettate, specificamente il circuito del canale del processore non è stato lasciato aperto, causando l'assenza di indicazioni della quantità di carburante. Domanda: Qual è lo scopo del modello a formaggio svizzero nella sicurezza aerea? Risposta: Lo scopo del modello a formaggio svizzero è comprendere come gli incidenti possano verificarsi illustrando che ogni strato di difesa ha potenziali fallimenti (fori) che possono allinearsi per creare un percorso per un incidente. Domanda: Qual era il problema principale con la progettazione del sistema di carburante che ha portato all'incidente? Risposta: I processori del carburante non erano isolati serbatoio-serbatoio, quindi un guasto in un canale ha influenzato tutti gli indicatori dei serbatoi di carburante. Domanda: Quale delle seguenti descrive meglio il ruolo del MEL nell'incidente? A) Ha permesso all'aeromobile di essere dispatchato con un sistema di carburante difettoso B) Ha impedito all'aeromobile di essere dispatchato con un sistema di carburante difettoso C) Ha richiesto che il sistema di carburante fosse completamente funzionante prima del dispatch D) Non era rilevante per l'incidente Risposta: A) Ha permesso all'aeromobile di essere dispatchato con un sistema di carburante difettoso Domanda: Il modello a formaggio svizzero è un framework utilizzato per prevenire incidenti o per analizzare le loro cause? Risposta: Sì Domanda: Cosa ha causato il sistema di avviso di basso livello di carburante sul Boeing 767 durante l'incidente? Risposta: Un errore di progettazione ha reso il sistema di avviso non indipendente dal calcolo base della quantità di carburante nel FQIS. Domanda: Cosa è la "progettazione a muro di mattoni" nel contesto del sistema di carburante del Boeing 767? Risposta: Una riprogettazione che garantisce che ciascun processore sia operativamente indipendente, in modo che i guasti in un serbatoio non influenzino gli altri. | 0.6 | medium | 5 | 2,602 | [
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87429a49-bc45-456d-ae33-3f6e48a0c9be | Maxaquene Txombene public space | arts_and_creativity | practical_application | Maxaquene Txombene is a public space project in an informal settlement in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, utilizing recycled plastic as the primary construction material. The project transformed an old defunct drinking water fountain into a shaded recreational space. The structure was built of beams produced of recycled plastic waste and the concrete blocks used in the landscape design were cast in reclaimed five-liter water bottles. Thereby, the project seeks to advance the principles of circular economy in construction while discussing the cultural heritage in the informal settlements in Maputo.
Approximately 75% of the population of Maputo lives in informal settlements. The public space in such areas is typically in poor condition due to the extra-legal status of the neighborhoods and consequent lack of public investments. Nevertheless, the public space plays a crucial role for social life, as people and particularly children spend much of their free time outside their homes. This project sought to improve the quality of a small public space in the informal settlement, Maxaquene.
The government built a number of public water fountains supplying the informal settlements of Maputo with water in the 1980s. Today, most households have direct access to drinking water and the water fountains are defunct. However, these fountains remain a part of the cultural heritage and are typically located in small public spaces, where people used to stand in lines to fetch water. This project sought to discuss the cultural heritage by adding a new use to the old structure. The old water basins were filled with concrete and plastered, providing a smooth surface for sitting. A light roof structure and a backrest were added to the old fountain providing shade in the hot climate. A crumbling drainage passing through the public space was renovated, improving the sanitary conditions.
Billions of plastic bottles are produced each year and only a small fraction is recycled, compromising sustainable development. Plastic is a pollutant, as it is not easily degraded by the environment. However, as it does not rot, rust or get infested my insects or fungi, it is also a desirable construction material. The local plastic recycling initiative, Plástico Fantástico, produces beams for construction made of recycled plastic waste. These were utilized in this project, pioneering the use of plastic as a structural component in construction in Mozambique. The concrete blocks used in the landscape design were cast in reclaimed five-liter plastic bottles. The smooth surfaced concrete blocks thus appear as petrified water bottles, referring to the other water related elements of the old fountain and the drainage as well as the plastic structure. The project thereby discusses the cultural heritage in the informal settlements and circular economy in the construction sector in Mozambique.
The project was carried out in collaboration with Remígio Chilaule, Faculdade de Arquitectura e Planeamento Físico – Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, KADK – The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation – Institute of Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape, and Associação IVERCA. | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 617 | [
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f180d7f5-a5f5-4041-a7f4-31a74d0a7961 | Thermal insulation construction industry | technology | historical_context | Thermal insulation in the construction industry mainly consists of blow-in insulation materials made from recycled paper. IsoCott offers an alternative solution for building insulation with their blow-in insulation material made from recycled textiles. In doing so, they are addressing the increasing decline of waste paper as a resource and addressing the nearly 90 per cent of textile waste that has previously only been incinerated or landfilled. Using otherwise discarded cotton for insulation requires no water and reduces the need for primary raw materials. Since the production takes place entirely in Switzerland, delivery routes and CO2 emissions are reduced. With the CBI Booster, IsoCott can address the scaling of the production process and conduct a lifecycle assessment. | 0.6 | high | 5 | 143 | [
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4cd9d5b0-2d37-4af8-8cd6-9b1b26f09c80 | zipper one simplest machines | interdisciplinary | tutorial | The zipper is one of the simplest machines of modern times and arguably one of the least essential, but it is an immeasurably useful device in our everyday lives. Think how much easier it is to close a pants fly, a suitcase, the back of a dress, a sleeping bag or a tent flap with a zipper than with buttons or cords. The zipper is so effective and reliable that in less than a hundred years, it has become the de facto fastener for thousands of different products.
In this article, we'll examine the various parts that make up a zipper and see how these components lock together so easily and securely. The system is ingenious in its simplicity. | 0.6 | low | 4 | 141 | [
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eae0b0b0-ed0d-4264-aab9-eb085473e93b | Quality Planning And Analysis Juran And Gryna Onloneore | interdisciplinary | data_analysis | Quality Planning And Analysis Juran And Gryna Onloneore
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Quality Planning And Analysis Juran
Quality Planning and Analysis Paperback – International Edition, June 1, 1993. by J.M. Juran (Author), Frank M. Gryna (Author) 4.0 out of 5 stars 2 ratings. See all formats and editions. Hide other formats and editions. Price. New from. Used from. Paperback, International Edition.
Quality Planning and Analysis: Juran, J.M., Gryna, Frank M ...
Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis provides students and professionals with an authoritative treatment of the subject that goes beyond statistical techniques. The content combines pioneering concepts of Dr. Joseph M. Juran and the teachings of the late Dr. Frank M. Gryna, with the insights and experience of today's leading trainers and practitioners at the Juran Institute: John F.
Juran's Quality Management and Analysis: Defeo, Joseph ...
Quality Planning and Analysis: From Product Development Through Use (Mcgraw-Hill Series in Industrial Engineering and Management Science): Juran, J.M., Gryna, Frank M.: 9780070331839: Amazon.com: Books.
Quality Planning and Analysis: From Product Development ...
Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise Quality (McGraw-Hill Series in Industrial Engineering and Management) 5th Edition. by Frank Gryna (Author), Richard Chua (Author), Joseph Defeo (Author) & 0 more. 3.8 out of 5 stars 10 ratings. ISBN-13: 978-0072966626.
Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise ...
Summary. Through four editions, Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis has provided students and professionals with an authoritative treatment of the subject that goes beyond statistical techniques. The fifth edition of this highly regarded classic book on managing for quality, Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise Quality, combines the pioneering concepts of Dr. Joseph M. Juran and the teachings of the late Dr. Frank M. Gryna with the insights and experience of today's leading ...
Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis 5th edition ...
The fifth edition of this highly regarded classic book on managing for quality, Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise Quality, combines the pioneering concepts of Dr. Joseph M. Juran...
Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise ...
Juran helps your design teams develop their skills in understanding customer needs and designing products that target those needs better. We also help you integrate quality by design (QbD) into product development and provide training for QbD and design for SixSigma (DFSS) at green belt and black belt levels.
Quality Planning | Juran
2007 - Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis, 5th edition. Page 18 of 125. critical to quality, are set at a certain value, and are maintained within a specified range (i.e., "controllable variables"). Other variables cannot be easily maintained around a certain value and are considered uncontrollable or "noise".
[PDF] Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis v3 - Free ...
The Juran Trilogy, also called Quality Trilogy, was presented by Dr. Joseph M. Juran in 1986 as a means to manage for quality. The traditional approach to quality at that time was based on quality control, but today, the Trilogy has become the basis for most quality management best practices around the world. In essence, the Juran Trilogy is a universal way of thinking about quality—it fits all functions, all levels, and all product and service lines.
The Juran Trilogy: Quality Planning | Juran
The Juran Model and Excellence Framework. Is your organization looking to begin a journey to improve performance, develop a culture of excellence and a quality mindset, or simply launch a process improvement program such as Lean or Six Sigma? The Five Components Guiding Principles Excellence Framework Roadmap.
The Juran Model | Juran - Juran - Pioneers of Quality ...
Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise Quality (McGraw-Hill Series in Industrial Engineering and Management)
Quality Planning & Analysis for Enterprise Quality: Frank ...
A Brief Introduction: Joseph Juran was a management consultant specializing in managing for quality. He has authored hundreds of papers and 12 books, including Juran's Quality control handbook, Quality Planning and Analysis, and Juran on Leadership for Quality.
Life and Works of Quality Guru Joseph Juran | Quality Gurus
Corpus ID: 109441398. Juran's quality planning and analysis : for enterprise quality @inproceedings{Gryna2007JuransQP, title={Juran's quality planning and analysis : for enterprise quality}, author={Frank M. Gryna
Page 1/2
Copyright : alliancebuildingcontractors.com and R. Chua and Joseph A. Defeo}, year={2007} }
[PDF] Juran's quality planning and analysis : for ...
Quality Planning and Analysis. : Joseph M. Juran, J. M. Juran, Frank M. Gryna. McGraw-Hill, 1993 - Quality assurance - 634 pages. 1 Review. Written by internationally recognized leaders in quality,...
Quality Planning and Analysis: From Product Development ...
Unlike static PDF Juran's Quality Planning And Analysis For Enterprise Quality 5th Edition solution manuals or printed answer keys, our experts show you how to solve each problem step-by-step. No need to wait for office hours or assignments to be graded to find out where you took a wrong turn.
Juran's Quality Planning And Analysis For Enterprise ...
The Juran Trilogy was developed by Dr. Joseph Juran, and it's something I learned about recently in my Total Quality Management and Six Sigma course. The Juran Trilogy is an improvement cycle that is meant to reduce the cost of poor quality by planning quality into the product/process.
The Juran Trilogy – Continuous Improvement Blog
Gryna is perhaps best known as the co-author with Joseph M. Juran of the first four editions of the Juran Quality Handbook and the first two editions of Quality Planning and Analysis. He was also a senior vice president of the Juran Institute for more than 15 years.
Dr. Frank M. Gryna | ASQ
Through four editions, Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis has provided students and professionals with an authoritative treatment of the subject that goes beyond statistical techniques. The fifth edition of this highly regarded classic book on managing for quality, Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise Quality, combines the pioneering concepts of Dr. Joseph M. Juran and the teachings of the late Dr. Frank M. Gryna with the insights and experience of today's leading trainers ...
Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise ...
Synopsis. Through four editions, Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis has provided students and professionals with an authoritative treatment of the subject that goes beyond statistical techniques. The fifth edition of this highly regarded classic book on managing for quality, Juran's Quality Planning and Analysis for Enterprise Quality, combines the pioneering concepts of Dr. Joseph M. Juran and the teachings of the late Dr. Frank M. Gryna with the insights and experience of today's ...
Copyright code: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.
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fc67c159-1726-4df6-b892-dd7280060874 | Publications Warehouse links digital | interdisciplinary | historical_context | The Publications Warehouse does not have links to digital versions of this publication at this time
Mount Rainier is one of the most seismically active volcanoes in the Cascade Range, with an average of one to two high-frequency volcano-tectonic (or VT) earthquakes occurring directly beneath the summit in a given month. Despite this level of seismicity, little is known about its cause. The VT earthquakes occur at a steady rate in several clusters below the inferred base of the Quaternary volcanic edifice. More than half of 18 focal mechanisms determined for these events are normal, and most stress axes deviate significantly from the regional stress field. We argue that these characteristics are most consistent with earthquakes in response to processes associated with circulation of fluids and magmatic gases within and below the base of the edifice. Circulation of these fluids and gases has weakened rock and reduced effective stress to the point that gravity-induced brittle fracture, due to the weight of the overlying edifice, can occur. Results from seismic tomography and rock, water, and gas geochemistry studies support this interpretation. We combine constraints from these studies into a model for the magmatic system that includes a large volume of hot rock (temperatures greater than the brittle-ductile transition) with small pockets of melt and/or hot fluids at depths of 8-18 km below the summit. We infer that fluids and heat from this volume reach the edifice via a narrow conduit, resulting in fumarolic activity at the summit, hydrothermal alteration of the edifice, and seismicity.
Additional Publication Details
A model for the magmatic-hydrothermal system at Mount Rainier, Washington, from seismic and geochemical observations | 0.55 | medium | 5 | 340 | [
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c20ecdf5-4601-490a-91c6-f80805a1f027 | Bavaria ancestral home Immsland | social_studies | historical_context | Bavaria is the ancestral home of the Immsland family. Immsland is a local name, first used as a surname for someone who lived in Bavaria.
Early Origins of the Immsland family
Bavaria, where the name Imsland contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs.
Early History of the Immsland family
Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 179 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Immsland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Immsland Spelling Variations
Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Immsland include Imsland, Immsland, Imssland, Imslland, Imslande, Immslland and many more.
Early Notables of the Immsland family (pre 1700)
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Immsland family to the New World and Oceana
European migration to North America began in the mid-17th century and continued unabated until the mid-20th. Many Bavarians made the long trip to escape poverty or persecution based on their religious beliefs. The chance for tenant farmers to own their own land was also a major drawing card. They settled all across the United States in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many came to Canada also, settling in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Immslands to arrive in North America, and among them were: Nels J. Imsland, who arrived in Iowa in 1892.
Immsland Family Crest Products | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 462 | [
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d809847e-ffa0-4d1c-b8c9-a6cd628786ff | few weeks ago determinate | mathematics | research_summary | A few weeks ago the determinate tomatoes started looking very bad. More than half of the leaves had died on some of the plants; a couple of plants had lost all of their leaves. Tomatoes usually look a little beat up by late summer with some of the bottom leaves dying but it’s never been this bad.
There’s been a lot of talk about late blight but when I looked at the tomatoes I found that only the leaves were affected. I’ve seen late blight and when plants have it there are lesions on the fruit and stems. The stems and fruit of these tomatoes were fine. The only problem was that the leaves were dying.
With a little research I found out that the problem was septoria leaf spot, a fungal disease caused by the fungus Septoria lycopersici. The initial symptoms of this disease are small spots on the lower leaves of tomatoes. If the conditions are wet, the fungus can form fruiting bodies which produce spores. The spores are spread by rain and can defoliate the plant if the conditions are right. It’s obvious that the conditions were right for a bad case of septoria this year so what were those conditions?
The first condition was that the tomato plants this year were huge. I planted Pony Express, which is a determinate tomato, and the plants were the biggest I’ve ever seen and each was full of fruit. As an habitual “underfertilizer,” I had made the decision to fertilize a little more this year. It’s obvious that the tomatoes liked the additional fertilizing.
The second problem was that the plants were so heavy with green tomatoes that the tomato cages I got at the local big box store weren’t able to stand up to the weight of the plants. A couple of wind storms right before the fruit started to ripen knocked over most of the cages. As a result, the plants were jumbled together and no longer elevated above the ground.
The final issue was that after a dry June and early July, the rain started to fall. During the middle of July it rained a little every few days and when it wasn’t raining, it was hot and humid.
Put these three conditions together and you have the perfect storm for an outbreak of septoria. The large, collapsed plants no longer had good air circulation. Also, the septoria spores, which are found in the soil and on the infected leaves, could now splash on most of the leaves of the plants. Add to these conditions a little rain, heat and humidity and it’s no wonder that the tomatoes look so bad.
While I doubt I can prevent septoria completely, I am already making some plans for next year to limit its damage. While I have no control over the weather, I can make sure that the plants remain above the ground and have good air circulation. I plan to make sure that the tomato plants are spaced properly and have some sturdy support. I read about a way of supporting determinate tomatoes called the Florida weave that’s used by professional growers – it could work well. I might also make my own cages out of some sturdier material. I have the winter to think about this and plan for the coming year.
While the septoria has done a good job of damaging the tomatoes, I’ve still had a good harvest. There have been more than enough tomatoes for freezing and canning. So while no one wants diseases in the garden, septoria is one that isn’t too bad. It only affects the leaves and, with proper growing conditions, it can be managed.
So here’s to next year with tomatoes more widely spaced, more strongly supported and, hopefully, less affected by Septoria lycopersici. | 0.6 | medium | 3 | 761 | [
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8888062e-b088-4748-900a-7f5ff9475869 | Blue White Howarmer® Square | arts_and_creativity | review_summary | Blue and White Howarmer® Square Cotton Canvas Decorative Throw Pillows Cover Set of 4 Accent Pattern - Navy Blue Quatrefoil, Navy Blue Arrow, Chevron Cover Set 18"x 18"
Price: $28.99
Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2017-10-15 06:37:58 EDT and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on http://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Availability: Not Available - stock arriving soon
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Manufacturer Description
Howarmer® Blue and White Square Cotton Canvas Decorative Throw Pillows Set of 4 Accent Pattern - Navy Blue Quatrefoil, Navy Blue Arrow, Chevron Cover Set 18"x 18"
Product Features
Made of nature & durable Gread A Cotton Canvas Measures 18" X18", 45 x 45 cm Hidden zipper design/COVER Set of 4 / Navy Quatrefoil,Arrow,Chevron Design pattern is printed on BOTH sides (Updated) Insert is not included/ Blue and White
Write a Review | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 323 | [
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addd7aac-7887-4f52-bfeb-646c328e6dd1 | split board You return | technology | historical_context | This is a split board - You can return to the Split List for other boards.
The "color team competition" on Steam is utter BS
• Topic Archived
1. Boards
2. PC
3. The "color team competition" on Steam is utter BS
User Info: Requiem
Requiem
2 years ago#1
And I'm saying this because I'm Pink.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W5KhfJHF_4
Copyright free literature available at http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page... otherwise known as Tex-Mex
User Info: Maverick_Reznor
Maverick_Reznor
2 years ago#2
You just mad cause you are under the storm cloud and catching the purple rain
Currently Playing : Watch Dogs,WildStar, and Mario Kart 8
Looking Forward To: Destiny, Smash Bros, The Order 1886, and ScaleBound
User Info: samurai1900
samurai1900
2 years ago#3
Maverick_Reznor posted...
You just mad cause you are under the storm cloud and catching the purple rain
Rain approves.
For Shuppet fans and lovers - http://steamcommunity.com/groups/ShuppetForLife
For Meloetta fans and lovers - http://steamcommunity.com/groups/MeloettaForLife
User Info: rking
rking
2 years ago#4
What's total BS is how poor green is doing, I realize I'm a nobody but why'd I get stuck to the worst team?
http://www.d2offline.info - Diablo 2 SP forums
Phenom II x4 945/5770/1440x900 x2/8GB DDR3/Unicomp SpaceSaver/120GB SSD/320GB HDD
User Info: InferiorPeasant
InferiorPeasant
2 years ago#5
I don't even know what this new crap is about, don't care. (= hey, it's great not caring.
User Info: arleas
arleas
2 years ago#6
Funny how there's about 50-60 tokens for all of the teams out there on the market right now, but no purple tokens.
$17 will get you a red team token... Oddly enough Pink Team's token starts at a bargain of only $8.31...
http://raptr.com/badge/arleas/uc.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/3201564081.png
User Info: reiko sawamura
reiko sawamura
2 years ago#7
Find someone on the blue team to mix with, you'll be a....winning combination.
If you believe in Taokaka, have accepted Her as your lord and savior and are 100% proud of it, put this in your sig!
User Info: ipwnu713
ipwnu713
2 years ago#8
arleas posted...
Funny how there's about 50-60 tokens for all of the teams out there on the market right now, but no purple tokens.
$17 will get you a red team token... Oddly enough Pink Team's token starts at a bargain of only $8.31...
Last time I checked (this afternoon), purple tokens ran for about $27.
http://i.imgur.com/gfSje.gif
Steam ID: G Bass
User Info: arleas
arleas
2 years ago#9
Damn... and they all sold out... I wish I'd craft some purple tokens...
http://raptr.com/badge/arleas/uc.png
http://www.speedtest.net/result/3201564081.png
User Info: RPGMatt
RPGMatt
2 years ago#10
Do people seriously care about this crap? What reason is there to get involved in the teams? Hell, what reason is there to even craft badges?
http://www.facebook.com/chaosframe
1. Boards
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• Topic Archived | 0.65 | medium | 4 | 1,059 | [
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ea44a716-3324-46d0-9d0f-4c4532df3ab7 | Wire Rope Diametric Reduction | interdisciplinary | technical_documentation | Wire Rope Diametric Reduction Calculator in accordance with ISO 4309
Single Layer Rope with Fibre Core
Single Layer Rope with Steel Core or Parallel Closed Rope
Rotation Resistant Rope
Nominal Diameter – The Nominal Diameter is the diameter by which the rope is designated in a catalogue or on the Declaration of Conformity.
Reference Diameter – The Reference Diameter is the measured diameter of a section of rope that is not subject to bending, taken directly after running in the new rope. More simply this is the diameter of the rope when new and should be used as the baseline for uniform change in diameter.
Measured Diameter – The Measured Diameter is the diameter that you measure as part of your examination and should be assessed by taking the average of two measurements, taken at right angles to one another.
The Severity Rating represents the amount of deterioration expressed as a percentage towards discard . This rating may relate to either an individual mode of deterioration like decrease in diameter or the cumulative effect of more than one type of deterioration which might include visible broken wires. | 0.5 | medium | 5 | 228 | [
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f690adf6-2266-4fab-bdf5-445cfcf9de79 | ### Groups Rings: Building | interdisciplinary | historical_context | ### From Groups to Rings: Building the Foundation for Abstract Structure Before we delve into the rich landscape of **ring theory**, let's revisit the foundational concepts from **group theory** that will serve as our stepping stones. Understanding these ideas is crucial, as ring theory builds directly upon the elegant structures we've already explored. **Prerequisite Review** * **Groups:** Remember, a group is a set equipped with a single binary operation (like addition or multiplication) that satisfies four key properties: closure, associativity, the existence of an identity element, and the existence of inverse elements for every element in the set. Think of the integers under addition ($\mathbb{Z}, +$). This structure captures the essence of "invertible operations." * **Abelian Groups:** A special type of group where the operation is also commutative (order doesn't matter). For example, the integers under addition are an abelian group because $a+b = b+a$. This commutativity is a useful property, but not all groups possess it. * **Subgroups:** A subset of a group that is itself a group under the same operation. For instance, the even integers form a subgroup of the integers under addition. **Knowledge Gap Identification** * **Common Gap 1: The "Single Operation" Limitation:** Group theory, by definition, focuses on *one* binary operation. However, many mathematical systems, like the integers, naturally involve *two* operations: addition and multiplication. Learners sometimes struggle to conceptualize how to extend group-like structures to accommodate this duality. * **Bridge:** To bridge this, consider the set of integers ($\mathbb{Z}$). We know $(\mathbb{Z}, +)$ is an abelian group. Now, think about multiplication within $\mathbb{Z}$. While $(\mathbb{Z}, \times)$ isn't a group (e.g., 2 has no multiplicative inverse in $\mathbb{Z}$), multiplication still has important properties like associativity and distributivity over addition. Ring theory aims to formalize systems with *two* operations where one behaves like an abelian group and the other behaves "nicely" with respect to the first. * **Common Gap 2: Distributivity's Role:** While we often encounter distributivity in elementary algebra (e.g., $a(b+c) = ab + ac$), its precise role in abstract algebraic structures can be unclear. Learners might not immediately grasp why it's a critical axiom for building new theories. * **Bridge:** Imagine the integers again. The distributive property connects addition and multiplication: $2 \times (3+4) = 2 \times 7 = 14$, and $2 \times 3 + 2 \times 4 = 6 + 8 = 14$. This property is fundamental to how these two operations interact. Ring theory elevates this interaction to an axiomatic level, ensuring that systems with two operations behave in a predictable, algebraically useful way. **Building the Bridge** * **Step 1:** We start with the robust structure of an **abelian group**. This gives us a set with a commutative, associative operation, an identity, and inverses. The integers under addition ($\mathbb{Z}, +$) are a prime example. * **Step 2:** We introduce a *second* binary operation. This second operation doesn't necessarily need to form a group itself, but it must interact with the first operation in a structured way. * **Step 3:** The crucial link is the **distributive law**. This law dictates how the second operation "distributes" over the first. When we combine an abelian group structure with a second associative operation that distributes over the first, we arrive at the definition of a **ring**. **Conceptual Transformation** * **How Groups Become Rings:** A group is defined by a single operation. Ring theory takes the structure of an *abelian* group (with its two-sided inverses and commutativity) and adds a second operation. The "groupness" is preserved for the first operation, while the second operation is constrained by its relationship to the first via distributivity. * **Why Distributivity is Key:** In group theory, we focus on the properties of a single operation. In ring theory, we need to understand how *two* operations coexist. The distributive law is the fundamental axiom that bridges these two operations, ensuring that the algebraic manipulations we're used to (like factoring) remain valid in our abstract systems. Without it, the interaction between addition and multiplication would be chaotic and unpredictable. * **Familiar Patterns:** The familiar properties of integers under addition and multiplication—associativity of both, commutativity of addition, and distributivity—are precisely the patterns that ring theory generalizes. Rings formalize these everyday algebraic behaviors. **Connection Reinforcement** * **Similarity:** Both groups and rings are sets with binary operations that satisfy closure and associativity. The first operation in a ring is specifically required to be commutative and possess inverses, mirroring the properties of an abelian group. * **Difference:** The most significant difference is the presence of a *second* binary operation in rings. While groups focus on one operation's structure, rings explore the interplay between two. * **Extension:** Ring theory extends group theory by adding a second operation and a distributive law, creating a richer framework capable of modeling more complex mathematical systems, like the integers or polynomials. **Checkpoint Questions** 1. What are the four essential properties that define a group? Provide an example of a group and its operation. 2. Why is the concept of an *abelian* group particularly relevant when transitioning to ring theory? 3. If $(\mathbb{Z}, +)$ is an abelian group, what additional properties must multiplication satisfy for $(\mathbb{Z}, +, \times)$ to be considered a ring? | 0.65 | medium | 4 | 1,242 | [
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a525e4ce-3281-4236-b1c7-489dea801ce3 | Home Search UPC,MPN,Name,SKU, Gtin | arts_and_creativity | historical_context | Home
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UPC 889850417301 iCanvas 'Wyoming Triptych Panel I' by Iris Scott Original Painting on Wrapped Canvas IRS135-1PC6-60x40
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UPC 889850417301 - iCanvas 'Wyoming Triptych Panel I' by Iris Scott Original Painting on Wrapped Canvas IRS135-1PC6-60x40
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IRS135-1PC6-60x40 IZN18571FeaturesArtist: Iris ScottHighest artist grade, water proof and scratch resistant canvasOrientation: Vertical100pct Anti-shrink pine wood bars and Epson anti-fade ultra chrome inks100pct Hand made and inspectedIncludes hanging accessoriesCountry of Manufacture: United StatesStyle: ContemporaryMedium: Giclee printedEco-Friendly: YesProduct Type: Print of paintingPrimary Art Material: CanvasSize (12" H x 8" W x 0.75" D): Mini 17" and underSize (18" H x 12" W x 0.75" D): Small 18"-24"Size (26" H x 18" W x 0.75" D): Medium 25"-32"Size (40" H x 26" W x 1.5" D): Large 33"-40" DimensionsSize 12" H x 8" W x 0.75" DOverall Height - Top to Bottom: 12"Overall Width - Side to Side: 8"Overall Dep 889850417301
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4496c56e-c3f4-4e02-a4b2-73027a9da49b | article part network’s archive | science | review_summary | This article is part of the network’s archive of useful research information. This article is closed to new comments due to inactivity. We welcome new content which can be done by submitting an article for review or take part in discussions in an open topic or submit a blog post to take your discussions online.
In this review, recently published in The EMBO Journal, the Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka outlines the opportunities and impact associated with the iPSC‐technology on future, personalized medicine.
The induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology is instrumental in advancing the fields of disease modeling and cell transplantation. This review discusses the various issues regarding disease modeling and cell transplantation presented in previous reports, and also describe new iPSC‐based medicine including iPSC clinical trials. In such trials, iPSCs from patients can be used to predict drug responders/non‐responders by analyzing the efficacy of the drug on iPSC‐derived cells. They could also be used to stratify patients after actual clinical trials, including those with sporadic diseases, based on the drug responsiveness of each patient in the clinical trials. iPSC‐derived cells can be used for the identification of response markers, leading to increased success rates in such trials. Since iPSCs can be used in micromedicine for drug discovery, and in macromedicine for actual clinical trials, their use would tightly connect both micro‐ and macromedicine. The use of iPSCs in disease modeling, cell transplantation, and clinical trials could therefore lead to significant changes in the future of medicine.
You can access the full review article here or download it by clicking in the link on the right. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 337 | [
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ca133484-75e2-4a35-b95c-fd69a01b1ba5 | ```Julia variational_calculus Implementation Description | technology | code_implementation | ```Julia # variational_calculus Implementation # Description: This code demonstrates a simplified approach to variational calculus, specifically focusing on finding the maximum of a function subject to a constraint. It uses a gradient-based method to approximate the solution. This implementation is a simplified illustration and might not be suitable for complex problems requiring high accuracy. using LinearAlgebra """ find_max_constrained(func, constraint, grad_constraint, step_size=0.01, max_iterations=100) Calculates the approximate maximum of a function subject to a constraint using gradient descent. # Arguments - `func`: The function to maximize. - `constraint`: The constraint function. - `grad_constraint`: The gradient of the constraint function. - `step_size`: The step size for gradient descent. Defaults to 0.01. - `max_iterations`: The maximum number of iterations for gradient descent. Defaults to 100. # Returns - A tuple containing: - The approximate maximum value of the function. - The point at which the maximum occurs. """ function find_max_constrained(func, constraint, grad_constraint, step_size=0.01, max_iterations=100) # Initialize a random starting point x = rand(1) for i in 1:max_iterations # Calculate the gradient of the function grad_func = gradient(func)(x) # Calculate the step in the direction of the gradient step = -step_size * grad_func # Update the point x = x + step # Check if the constraint is satisfied if constraint(x) <= 0 # Assuming constraint is a lower bound # If constraint is violated, return the current point return func(x), x end end # Return the best point found so far return func(x), x end """ gradient(f::Function) Calculates the gradient of a function f. This is a simplified version and assumes f is a scalar-valued function of one variable. """ function gradient(f::Function) # This is a very basic numerical gradient. For more robust gradient calculation, # consider using a dedicated numerical differentiation library. h = 1e-6 return function(x) return (f(x + h) - f(x - h)) / (2 * h) end end # Example usage: # Define the function to maximize f(x) = -x^2 + 4x + 5 # Define the constraint constraint(x) = x^2 - 1 # Example constraint: x^2 <= 1 # Calculate the gradient of the constraint grad_constraint(x) = 2x # Find the maximum max_value, max_point = find_max_constrained(f, constraint, grad_constraint) println("Approximate maximum value: ", max_value) println("Point at which maximum occurs: ", max_point) # Test cases # Test case 1 f1(x) = -x^2 + 4x + 5 constraint1(x) = x^2 - 1 max_value1, max_point1 = find_max_constrained(f1, constraint1) println("Test Case 1: Max Value = ", max_value1, ", Point = ", max_point1) # Expected: Max Value ≈ 6.0, Point ≈ 2.0 # Test case 2 f2(x) = -x^2 + 10x - 5 constraint2(x) = x^2 - 9 max_value2, max_point2 = find_max_constrained(f2, constraint2) println("Test Case 2: Max Value = ", max_value2, ", Point = ", max_point2) # Expected: Max Value ≈ 12.0, Point ≈ 5.0 # Test case 3 f3(x) = -x^2 constraint3(x) = x^2 - 4 max_value3, max_point3 = find_max_constrained(f3, constraint3) println("Test Case 3: Max Value = ", max_value3, ", Point = ", max_point3) # Expected: Max Value ≈ 0.0, Point ≈ 2.0 ``` | 0.6 | low | 6 | 909 | [
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1ee34c02-364e-4916-85ca-1a1b56191695 | GreenFeed provides research opportunities, practical applications for producers | technology | experiment_design | GreenFeed provides research opportunities, practical applications for producers
Measuring the rate of metabolic gases produced by ruminants has been a goal of scientists for many years, and Patrick Zimmerman’s GreenFeed system allows for easy monitoring of greenhouses gases from cattle.
Beginning in 2010, Zimmerman built the first prototype of the GreenFeed system to address complications in gathering gas emission data from cattle.
“There weren’t any good tools for making measurements of metabolic gases that come from the muzzles of ruminants,” says Zimmerman, inventor of GreenFeed and founder of C-Lock, Inc. “Those gases are as important as monitoring the water pressure and temperature in your car, in terms of being able to tell what is going on with animals.”
“GreenFeed provides a standardized platform so users anywhere in the world can produce secure, comparable measurements that can be monitored in near-real time,” says C-Lock, Inc.’s website.
The system resulted from Zimmerman’s more than 40 years of experience in measuring traces gases from biological systems and was developed by C-Lock, Inc.’s scientists and engineers.
Zimmerman notes that engineers Scott Zimmerman, Tom Zimmerman and Mike Billars are critical members of the C-Lock, Inc. team.
C-Lock, Inc. works to utilize science and engineering techniques to monitor, analyze and reduce greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions, with a focus on agricultural practices, according to their website.
How it works
The GreenFeed system works similar to a laboratory fume hood, explains Zimmerman.
“When an animal approaches it, a sensor reads an RFID ear tag,” he says. “The system is programmed for each individual animal, its age and size.”
At the appropriate time, the system releases pellets or concentrated feed. As the animal consumes the feed, the system collects and measures what is in their breath.
“Cattle have to belch every 40 seconds or they will bloat,” says Zimmerman. “The system measures that gas.”
As cattle eat, their food is utilized in the body and some carbon dioxide is produced as a result of maintenance and muscle use.
“We can make meat out of grass because the animal has microbes in its rumen that allow it break it down,” he explains. “Because there is no oxygen, they can’t break the grass down to CO2, so they break it down into other compounds that are absorbed.”
Zimmerman notes that one of the byproducts of breaking down organic matter is methane, which is measured by the GreenFeed system.
The data is collected by 18 sensors in the unit, which monitor different variables, and is sent to C-Lock, Inc.
Why monitor gases?
Zimmerman emphasizes that emissions can tell a lot about cattle health and intake.
“By looking at the emissions, we can tell if an animal gets sick, and if their intake drops, we can see it quickly,” explains Zimmerman. “If the feed changes, it also changes those values quickly.”
The data collected from emissions provides a good check for producers on feed quality and intake.
He also adds that gas emission can help with efficiency.
“It turns out that these gases are directly related to efficiency,” he says, “so you can identify those animals that are efficient.”
Because other technologies to test efficiency require waiting for the offspring of the bull to grow, Zimmerman says the system has the potential to look at the efficiency of breeding stock.
The systems have been developed to fit seamlessly into producer’s operations, adds Zimmerman.
“The animals train themselves to use the system,” Zimmerman says.
He also adds that producers can obtain easy-to-use data from C-Lock, Inc.
“We have developed mathematical formulas to convert the data into plain information that people can use,” he adds. “We know that farmers and ranchers don’t need another job.”
Currently, Zimmerman says GreenFeed systems are present primarily in research labs around the world. Systems are utilized in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Ireland and across the U.S.
There are also two units in semi-commercial dairies – one in Sweden and one at Michigan State University.
“We think this system has practical implications as well,” says Zimmerman. “For example, in a typical dairy, producers cull between seven and 10 percent of cows each year because they get sick, don’t get pregnant or die. We think you could cut those losses.”
He also mentions that in feedlots, similar results could be seen by reducing the impacts of dietary changes and stress on animals entering the feedlot.
“Our system shows sick animals before producers can see them,” he says. “Our strategy is to get them in the hands of early adopters in the commercial sector to document their performance.”
They are also working to get the data synthesized into peer-reviewed scientific journal articles. They have data from GreenFeed units in continuous use from 2010 to the present.
He also adds that the more systems that they are able to build, the more cost- effective they will become.
“We have been working to build a system that can slip seamlessly into producer’s operations and produce information to help them make better decisions to save money and make them more profitable,” Zimmerman comments.
Saige Albert is managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup and can be reached at email@example.com. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 1,142 | [
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eaaba05c-1d61-4ada-9938-006ffed96a42 | 1786, Lord Cornwallis came | interdisciplinary | historical_context | In 1786, Lord Cornwallis came to Bengal as Governor-General. Before his appointment, he had acted as the Commander-in-Chief of the British army in the American War of Independence.
Enlisted with vast military and administrative experience, Cornwallis in every direction built on the foundations already laid or began to be laid by his predecessors, and especially by Hastings.
He was especially interested with the task of finding out a satisfactory solution to the land revenue problem, restructuring the commercial department, purifying administration and invigorating the judicial department. It was for his effort that the Pitt’s India Act was amended in 1786 so that he might combine in himself the power of the Governor- General and Commander-in-Chief.
He was also given the power to over-rule the members of his executive council; it was his virtue that he did not hesitate to take help of his subordinate officers. He carried out the following reforms in the different fields of administration.
Cornwallis found the judicial machinery suffering from much confusion, diversity of practice and uncertainty of jurisdiction. His reforms were aimed at removing these defects. The district, as a territorial unit, figured as the centre of all his reforms.
For the administration of civil justice there were the civil courts known as Diwani Adalatas Cornwallis placed them under the collectors who were given judicial powers. In addition, a court to try cases upto the value of Rs. 200 was established presided over by an Indian Registrar.
Above the district court are organised four provincial courts of Calcutta, Dacca, Patna and Murshidabad. These provincial courts presided over by European judges heard appeals from the district courts was the Court of Sadar Diwani Adalat at Calcutta which heard appeals from the District Courts and in general looked after the administration of Civil Justice.
Criminal justice concerned itself with he apprehension of the criminal and his punishment. At the time of Cornwallis there were English Magistrates who, however, had on power of punishment, but only that of apprehending the criminal, punishment being the function of Faujdari Adalats (Criminal Court) which were presided over by Indian judges at the Apex of which was the Sadar Nizamat Adalat presided over by Mohammad Raza Khan.
The reform of Cronwallis in this field of justice consisted chiefly in removing the Indian judges and replacing them by Europeans with defined powers. The Collector was invested with certain powers of Criminal justice which he exercises even today.
At the head of each district he appointed a session’s judge. In addition he appointed four provincial courts of circuit, at Dacca, Murshidabad, Patna and Calcutta. The judges of these courts were the same as those of the provincial civil courts, but in their capacity as courts of circuit they toured their provinces and administered criminal justice.
At the head was the Sadar Nizamat Adalat at Calcutta from which Mohammad Raza Khan was removed and his place was taken by the Governor-General and members of the Supreme Council assisted by Indian advisers, and the court was removed from Murshidabad to Calcutta.
The Law to be administered was Muslim law in criminal cases and the personal law of the parties in civil cases, supplemented by the ideas of English law. Often there was a conflict between the two and notions of English Law, strange to the parties, were imparted by the English Judges.
The Cornwallis Code:
A comprehensive body of rules dealing with every department of the state was drawn up. In accordance with these rules the business of the state was to proceed. A clear division between the administrative and commercial services was made and servants of the company were asked to make their choice.
By 1793 it became clear that the Board of Revenue could not deal with the huge number of cases concerning revenue that cropped up. Arrears accumulated, people lamented the laws delay, and some remedy became urgent.
Accordingly in each district ‘Mai Adalats’ were created at the head of which was placed the collector who was re-invested with revenue powers, his revenue functions developing on assistants.
Thus by 1793 Cornwallis, by strenuous labour had separated the administrative and commercial services and built up that fabric, which with certain modifications is in existence even today. In that fabric Europeans were to dominate the whole show and the collectors was the central piece, the main link between the District and the Supreme Government.
It is true that all the pieces of the administrative structure were in existence when Cornwallis put his hands to its, but it was his administrative acumen that give a shape, a cohesion and a harmony to them.
He put those pieces together in their proper places and hammered them into a system. That was the measure of his success and achievement. To safeguard the Indians against oppression it was provided that the collectors at revenue and indeed of all offices of Government shall be amenable to courts for acts done in their official capacities, and that government itself in cases in which it may be a party with its subjects in matters of property shall submit its rights to be tried in courts under the existing laws and regulations. By this provision Cornwallis introduced the rule of law in India.
Reform of Criminal Law:
If Warren Hastings had asserted the right of the company’s government to interfere with the administration of law, Cornwallis maintained that the company had the right to reform the Criminal Law itself. The Mohammedans take their criminal law to be divinely ordained.
During 1790-93 Cornwallis introduced certain changes in the criminal law which were regularised by a Parliamentary Act of 1797.
In December 1790 a rule was framed for the guidance of Mohammedan law officers that in all trials of murder they were to be guided by the intention of the murderer either evident or fairly inferable and not by the manner or instrument of perpetration.
Further in case of murder, the will of the heir or kindred of the deceased were not to be allowed to operate in the grant of pardon or in the demand of compensation money as a price of blood.
Again, the usual punishment of amputation of limbs of body was replaced by temporary hard labour or fine and imprisonment according to circumstances of the case. Regulation IX 1793 amended the law of evidence by providing that the religious persuasions of witnesses shall not be considered as a bar to the conviction or condemnation of a prisoner.
Thus non-Muslims could give testimony against Muslims in criminal cases not permitted so far according to the Muslim law of evidence.
Reforms in the Police:
Cornwallis also made reforms in the police. Hitherto it was the duty of the Zainindars to establish peace and order and arrested the suspected persons. Cornwallis changed the system. He took away the police power from the Zamindars and divided the district in the small units.
Each such small unit was placed under the charge of a ‘Daroga’, or superintendent and the representative of the company living in the district supervised over the incharges of these units. In the police service he also appointed European and fixed their duties and salaries.
Cornwallis found corruption rampant in the Commercial Department. The company’s servants made huge profits in the goods they sent to England on their personal accounts. Ever since the establishment of the Board of Trade at Calcutta in 1774 the company had pocured goods through European and Indian contractors.
The contractors usually supplied goods at high prices and the inferior quality. The members of the Board of Trade rather than checking the malpractices of the contractors were often found to be in league with them by accepting bribes and commissions.
Cornwallis remarked that “the warehouses at Calcutta were a sink at corruption and inequity”. Cornwallis reduced the strength of the Board of Trade from eleven to five members. The method of procuring supplies through contracts was given up and the method of procuring supplies through commercial residents and agents begun.
These Commercial resident made advances to the manufacturers and settled prices with them. The company started getting supplies at cheaper rates. Thus Cornwallis put the commercial department of the Company on a footing on which it remained so long as the company traded.
Suppression of Bribery:
Himself Cornwallis was above the greed for money that has tarnished the names of Clive and Warren Hastings. Cornwallis forebade the company’s employees the acceptance of bribes or presents or indulgence in private trade.
He required each officer to declare his property under oath before he left India. He enforced this rule even though he had to dismiss some high officials. Cornwallis does nothing with the infamous credits of the Nawab of Carnatic but he prevented the further spread of this evil among the company’s servants.
Cornwallis’s approach to the problem was basic. He realised that the low salaries of the company’s servants tempted them to supplement their meagre income by corrupt or illegal methods.
Responsibility be held must be paid for or public official would abuse his trust. He decided to raise the salaries of the employees of the company A collector was to get a salary of Rs. 1500 per mensem with an additional allowance of 1 per cent on total revenue collected. District officials were provided with European assistance on good salaries. Cornwallis resisted the recommendation of even Prince of Wales.
Europeanisation of Administration Machinery:
Cornwallis policy of recial disemination was reflected in the administration. He had a very low opinion about Indian character ability and integrity. So he closed the doors of covenanted services to Indians.
He sought to reserve all the higher service for the Europeans and reduce Indians to the position of hewers of wood and drawers of water. In the army the Indians could not rise above the position of Zamidars on Subedars and in the Civil service not above the status of munsifs, Sadar Amins or Deputy Collector. Cornwallis used the official seal on the policy of racialism which soured Anglo-Indian relation till the end of British Rule in India.
The Permanent Settlement in Bengal:
The revenue administration was a complicated affair and no permanent decision was taken about it prior to the arrival of Lord Cornwallis in India. Cornwallis was specially directed to device a satisfactory solution to the land revenue. So Cornwallis after his arrival here initiated deep discussion in which loading part was taken by Sir John Shore, the President of the Board of Control, Mr. James Grant and Governor-General himself. The discussion pointed out three questions:
1. With whom was the settlement to be made-the Zamindars on the actual tillers of the soil?
2. The amount of state’s in share confronted the decisionmakers.
3. Should the settlement be for a term of year or permanent?
On these subjects two groups emerged James Grant pointed out that state was the owner of the all land in the country, the Zamindar was just the rent collecting agent and as such could be discarded at the will of the state.
On the other hand John Shore maintained that the Zamindar was the owner of the land subject to the payment of annual land revenue to the state. As such the Zamindar could bequeath the entire land to his children, sell it or mortgage it.
Another problem also confronted the decision-makers. The company officers did not possess adequate administrative experience to make a direct settlement with the ryot.
The system of farming estates to the highest bidder had been tried for long with undesirable consequence. So Cornwallis decided to make a settlement with Zamindars. First, it was proposed on the basis of the highest Mughal settlement, namely, that in force in 1765.
Ultimately it was decided that the settlement was to be made on the basis of the actual collections of the year 1790-91 which were put at Rs. 2, 68, 00,000.
Secondly, Cornwallis wanted to declare the settlement permanent and perpetual. He held the view that a ten year period was too limited to attract any Zamindar to improve the land. | 0.7 | medium | 6 | 2,529 | [
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bbce0d8e-bc7a-410f-b426-51f299600b71 | Disease concept and self worth | science | worked_examples | Disease concept and self worth
People addicted to alcohol and other drugs almost always have families – wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters — and addiction touches all their lives. I stated alcohol and other drugs because alcohol can be as devastating as cocaine or heroin. I once asked my group if they believed chemical dependency was a disease. They all agreed it was. I then asked if they would put it equal to cancer. No hands went up. Because of the current and past thinking and beliefs, the urgency to get better becomes irrational. Thus let’s see if I can dispute this belief.
On a Sunday morning at Holy Trinity’s 11 a.m. Mass, a mom tapped me on the shoulder and stated, “It’s a shame that many people don’t consider this a disease, instead of rating someone as a moral weakling for contracting addiction.”
So Mom, this article is for you and I hope it helps to clarify the disease concept of chemical dependency.
Let’s start with alcohol. Many people drink without any apparent effects. The normal pattern is as follows: Alcohol — alcohol/dehydrogenase broken down AAD to acetaldehyde to acetic acid (vinegar). Then dopamine forms THIQs. The “normal process” CO2 and H20 goes to urine, sweat, to acetic acid forms, THIQs
If you drink alcohol, it is then broken down by AD to acetic acid and then goes out of your body as urine or sweat.
Unfortunately, and we don’t know why, the chemical acetaorhyde mixes with dopamine in the brain to form what we call “THIQs.” This word has 26 letters, you don’t need to know it except to know it’s the problem. These THIQs are found in the brain of people addicted to alcohol, but not in the brains of social drinkers. If an alcoholic stops drinking, they do not go away. They cannot be detected while a person is alive, and as of yet have not had treatment to detect who is at high risk. The more one drinks, the more are developed. In the brain, they affect reasoning, high tolerance, loss of behavioral control as well as “numbing” feelings. They are responsible for “blackouts: or putting your brain to sleep, so you have no memory of behavior.
I had a client who left my office, went on a binge, ended up in Las Vegas, and to this day has no memory of how he got there. Thus when some of the “controlled drinking” theories, give in and enable people to continue to drink, while in treatment, they need to go back and look at the disease concept. Controlled drinking, like harm reduction, never worked and will not work. I hope that upsets some of you who are taking the easier, softer way in your counseling.
When I was young counselor, an experiment was presented to us that I’ve never forgotten. It involved white rats in a controlled environment. A maze was set up with two stations, one for food, the other for alcohol. Rats have an aversion to alcohol and won’t drink it. A rat would go down the maze, come the “T,” look right and then go left to the smell of food, press the lever and eat. The same rat was taken out of the cage, injected with “THIQs” and sent down the maze. If I had not seen this I would never believe it. The rat would come to the “T,” look left, and then turn right, where alcohol was, press the lever until he either passed out or died. This idea coupled with family genetics, cultural thinking on drinking was enough for me to strongly believe in the disease concept, not moral weakling. No one starts out to be addicted, I mean no one says, “I’m going to drink and become the best alcoholic that ever lived.” It just happens over time and our job is to teach people how to manage it through abstinence!
With other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and so on, it’s a little different. If you can imagine a sponge, full of water sitting in your sink. The normal process would be to let it sit and the water would eventually evaporate and water would be added again to make it functional. The sponge is the brain. The water is chemicals like dopamine, serotin and norepinephrine. These chemicals are in sites in the brain called “receptor sites.” Don’t let me lose you. So what happens when someone uses cocaine for the first time? Instead of the water going out of the sponge naturally, it is squeezed hard dry and emptied with a rush. One of my clients stated “I’m still looking for that high I got the first time in 1988.” In CD terms, we call this “chasing the high!” Most will never get the same result again but will try.
Like the sponge, if someone stops using an a reasonable amount of time, these “sites” will be replaced. With continued use of any drug, the sponge will be dry, and the term “using more and enjoying it less,” surfaces. The brain is a stupid organism. It only knows what it wants. If the drug of your choice is absent, you will go through mood swings, tremors, sometimes vomiting and withdrawal. Every addict hates pain, both mental and physical, and will do anything to avoid it. If they need money, they either deal or steal. The problem in treatment when I tell them it is going to take 18 to 24 months to restore the chemicals they have depleted, their jaw drops. “That long?” To me, harm reduction is being under doctor’s care at this point and being medicated, if they need it, properly. I’m speaking of Methadone, Soboxin, Vivitrol properly administered. “Harm reduction” is not telling a heroin addict, who has a craving, to “use alcohol” instead of his main drug. I find this absurd, or discharging someone with a successful discharge, who is using alcohol instead of cocaine. The program of self-help was founded on abstinence. Read the Big Book. That is why the theme song of Tom Petty, “I Won’t Back Down” is what we subscribe to in REBT. Furthermore, “no pain – no gain” is 100 percent. Most people know that “starting the stopping” is going to be painful. Tough, get over it.
Many of my people in addiction will do anything to have people like them. Because of their lack of self-worth, they value others more than themselves. I usually give them this simple passage to ease the shame, guilt, anxiety, anger, rage, depression and fear.
“You are not everyone’s cup of tea.”
The world is filled with people who, no matter what you do, will simply not like you. But the world is also filled with those who will love you freely. The people who love you, they are your people.
Don’t waste your finite time and heart trying to convince the people who aren’t your people, that you have value, they will miss it completely. They won’t buy what you are selling. Don’t try to convince them to walk in your path, because you will only waste your time and your emotional good health.
You are not for them and they are not for you. You are not their cup of tea and they are not yours.
Politely wave them along and move away as well, seek to share your path with those who recognize and appreciate your gifts, who you are. Be who you are – “you’re not everyone’s cup of tea.”
Thank you brother Dan for this great passage. Love ya bro.
I have spent 40 years in sales, 36 years in counseling and over 30 in coaching basketball. I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but I never would have lasted this long if I didn’t find people who considered me their cup of tea.
Mike Tramuta has been a CASAC counselor for over 30 years and currently runs the REBT program on Thursday nights at the Holy Trinity Parish Center from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Call 983-1592 for more information. | 0.65 | low | 4 | 1,742 | [
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9373bf39-5561-4c5e-9eca-0489378fd117 | life study hands lower | arts_and_creativity | worked_examples | This life study of the hands and lower arms of a woman is a fine example of Leonardo’s fluid metalpoint technique.
The artist appears to have begun by sketching both hands in an embrace across the waist of the figure. The position of the right hand has subsequently been rethought and redrawn at a higher point towards the centre of the chest. Once this new position was established, Leonardo proceeded to model both hands by the application of rapid diagonal, parallel hatching with the silverpoint itself and with a white liquid medium or gouache, in order to indicate areas of shadow and highlight on the hands, fingers and lower left sleeve.
The drawing is thought to be associated with the portrait of Ginevra de’Benci, which was at some point cut down at the bottom edge, and may once have included the lower torso, arms and hands of the figure, as in the case of other female portraits by Leonardo, such as the Mona Lisa. | 0.55 | medium | 4 | 196 | [
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1e8b0043-c28d-4c59-9503-4eae0d14ac41 | Friends Of Hillsborough Park | social_studies | historical_context | Friends Of Hillsborough Park
The Friends Of Hillsborough Park are a group of volunteers who meet every Tuesday morning in order to maintain Hillsborough Park Walled Garden. We also arrange a number of events throughout the year in order to promote the park and we are keen to collect information about the history of Hillsborough Hall and the park which we share through our website and social media pages. | 0.45 | medium | 4 | 78 | [
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b5aff095-6610-4d13-af1a-f81ffc8b7d79 | Keeping up Efficiency in Hydraulic Systems | science | historical_context | Keeping up Efficiency in Hydraulic Systems
The effectiveness of a hydraulic system is a basic need to its activity. In the event that the working conditions, including the liquid thickness are not kept ideal, this makes the driving engine accomplish extra work to conquer the deficiency of power in the system. For instance, this can make systems with a fixed-limit electric engine work all the more languidly. This could likewise prompt less control and helpless reaction of the engine. Also, if the motor is an ignition motor, it would need to consume more fuel to conquer the deficiency of proficiency and to keep up the yield.
The general proficiency of hydraulic systems depends on a blend of both mechanical and volumetric characteristics. Mechanical productivity is affected when there is a frictional misfortune and the energy that is expected to redress. A frictional misfortune comes about because of scouring metal surfaces and liquid grinding. Under typical working conditions, a hydraulic system will have oil streaming constantly and most contact is identified with liquid grating. Volumetric proficiency then again is the consequence of the stream misfortunes inside a hydraulic system. Both volumetric and mechanical proficiency are eventually affected by the liquid’s obstruction. Considering that, hydraulic systems are designed and worked for an ideal progression of liquids while holding fast to limits for safe activity of system segments and check over here. Administrators are urged to move in this reach as well as could be expected. When both are adjusted and working without yield punishments, productivity increments just as the life span of the system and its parts.
One approach to guarantee a hydraulic system is working at top productivity is to keep up the system’s working temperature at the very same level all through the activity pattern of the system. The working temperature of a hydraulic system can be affected by numerous normal elements, which incorporates the barometrical temperature, changes in the process temperature, just as changes in the measure of air and water fume that is contained inside the oil. On the off chance that the two ascribes are not adjusted, the system will burn-through and furthermore squander a lot of energy during the presentation of its typical working capacities. Anything that influences the system temperature could likewise conceivably influence the oil temperature. An adjustment of the oil’s thickness will probably adversely affect the system. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 460 | [
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ecb1d3e4-1b8f-45f2-854b-494ac94cd26c | Applied kinesiology, manual muscle | interdisciplinary | code_implementation | Applied kinesiology, or manual muscle testing, is used to determine the health of various body parts, systems, glands or organs. It is based on the principle that dysfunction in particular body parts is revealed by weakness in corresponding muscles. The test is conducted by the practitioner applying a force to the target muscle group while the patient is instructed to resist with that muscle. The evaluation is based on the difference in strength from the baseline test. For example, nutrient testing involves evaluating the muscular response to certain foods or chemicals that the patient is in contact with during the time of the test. Muscle weakness indicates sensitivity to the product or item being tested.
There are various applications for muscle testing including clinical nutrition, nerve damage, mental stress, meridian imbalances, chemical imbalances, or gland problems. Naturopathic treatment at our clinic incorporates applied kinesiology as a method to confirm certain health problems. | 0.65 | high | 6 | 177 | [
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cce7c61b-9222-4c34-ae91-b514c03b98b4 | PUBLISHED March 13, 1997 | interdisciplinary | historical_context | NOT TO BE PUBLISHED March 13, 1997 In re: Donald J. Ruberg/Campbell County Cable TV Board Open Records Decision This matter comes to the Attorney General on appeal from the Campbell County Cable TV Board's response to an open records request submitted by Donald J. Ruberg. On January 29, 1997, Mr. Ruberg requested copies of: 1. October 22, 1996 Minutes. 2. The Treasurer's Report approved at the January 28th meeting. 3. The three lists of bills approved at the January 28th meeting. 4. Any and all correspondence, memoranda, notes or documents between the Campbell County Cable Board, its agents, employees or representatives to or from its consultants/experts, their agents, employees, or representatives beginning 1/1/95 to date. 5. Any and all correspondence, memoranda, notes or documents between the Campbell County Board, its agents, employees or representatives to or from any governmental unit located in Campbell County, its agents, representatives or employees beginning 1/1/95 to date. Having received no response to this request within the required three day period, Mr. Ruberg initiated this appeal in a letter to the Attorney General dated February 10, 1997. On February 19, 1997, this office received a copy of a letter from Robin E. Harvey, an attorney representing the Campbell County Cable TV Board, to Mr. Ruberg. In that letter, which was dated February 18, 1997, Ms. Harvey stated that the Board would furnish Mr. Ruberg with copies of the October 22 minutes, the treasurer's report, and the lists of bills. She denied his request for the remaining records, arguing that they are subject to the exemptions contained in §61.878(1) of the Kentucky Open Records. Continuing, she observed: Many of these documents are privileged communications and, in light of the ongoing litigation between TKR and the Cable Board, are not subject to the Open Records Act. With respect to any non-privileged documents covered by your last two requests, discovery is the proper channel for obtaining copies of such documents. In closing, Ms. Harvey apologized for the delay in responding to Mr. Ruberg's request, but noted that because of the overly-broad and burdensome nature of [his] final two requests, the Board needed additional time for determination of compliance with the Open Records Act. . . . In a letter to this office dated February 20, Mr. Ruberg identified three issues which he believes Ms. Harvey's letter raises. First, he noted, the response was not timely. Second, he observed, the response was not issued by the official custodian or under his authority. Third, he argued, Ms. Harvey did not satisfy the requirements of KRS 61.880(1). Mr. Ruberg explained: KRS 61.880(1) mandates that if inspection of the requested public records is denied, the official custodian must give a specific exception authorizing the withholding of the record withheld and a brief explanation of how the exception applies to the records withheld. Accordingly, I would request that for each record withheld, the record be identified, the statutory exemption be specified, and the Campbell County Cable Board give a brief explanation of how the exception applies to that record. He asks that we resolve these issues in an open records decision. For the reasons set forth below, we conclude that the Campbell County Cable Board violated KRS 61.880(1) by failing to respond to Mr. Ruberg's request within three work days, and by failing to satisfy its burden of proof in sustaining its denial based on KRS 61.878(1). We do not find that the Board violated KRS 61.880(1) by issuing its response to Mr. Ruberg under Ms. Harvey's signature. The Campbell County Cable TV Board is no doubt familiar with the procedural requirements of the Open Records Act. KRS 61.880(1) provides: Each public agency, upon any request for records made under KRS 61.870 to 61.884, shall determine within three (3) days, excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after the receipt of any such request whether to comply with the request and shall notify in writing the person making the request, within the three (3) day period, of its decision. The law thus presumes notification within three work days. The only exception to this general rule is found at KRS 61.872(5) which states: If the public record is in active use, in storage or not otherwise available, the official custodian shall immediately notify the applicant and shall designate a place, time, and date for inspection of the public records, not to exceed three (3) days from receipt of the application, unless a detailed explanation of the cause is given for further delay and the place, time, and earliest date on which the public record will be available for inspection. Mr. Ruberg's request was submitted on January 29. The Board responded on February 18. Thus, twelve work days elapsed between the date of his request and the date of the Board's response. The Open Records Act does not recognize, as a legitimate basis for enlargement of agency response time, the fact that a request is overly-broad and burdensome. We urge the Campbell County Cable TV Board to review the cited provisions to insure that future responses conform to the Open Records Act. We do not find that the Board violated KRS 61.880(1) when it responded to Mr. Ruberg's request through its attorney, Robin E. Harvey. That statute provides, in relevant part, that [t]he response shall be issued by the official custodian or under his authority, and it shall constitute final agency action. The statute does not require a formal delegation of authority. It is a common practice among public agencies, and one which this office has recognized and approved, to process open records requests through the agencies' attorneys. Thus, in 93-ORD-134, we observed: [W]e see nothing wrong with the City's policy of processing open records requests through its Law Department. In our view, this policy insures uniformity and adherence to the law. The policy may, however, be problematic if it occasions delays in agency response. 93-ORD-134, p. 12. Although this policy does not, in our view, violate the Open Records Act, we remind the Board that it is bound by the requirement that it respond within three work days, and that it is not entitled to additional time for its attorney to make a determination of compliance with the . . . Act. . . . Turning to the substantive issues in this appeal, we find that the Campbell County Cable Board failed to meet its statutory burden of proof in sustaining its denial of Mr. Ruberg's request pursuant to KRS 61.878(1). KRS 61.880(1) provides, in part, that [a]n agency response denying in whole or in part, inspection of any record shall include a statement of the specific exception authorizing the withholding of the record and a brief explanation of how the exception applies to the record withheld. It has long been the position of this office that the mere invocation of an exception, without an adequate explanation of how the exception applies to the records withheld, does not satisfy the burden of proof imposed on the agency. 92-ORD-1020; 93-ORD-86; 94-ORD-154; 95-ORD-61; 96-ORD-26. At page 5 of 95-ORD-61, this office commented: Although there is no clear standard of proof under the Kentucky Open Records Act, with one narrow exception [found at KRS 61.872(6) and requiring clear and convincing evidence to support denials based on unreasonably burdensome requests,] it is clear that the burden of proof in sustaining public agency action in the event of an appeal to the Attorney General, or to the circuit court, is on the agency. KRS 61.880(2)(c); KRS 61.882(3). It is also clear that a bare assertion relative to the basis for denial . . . does not satisfy the burden of proof. . . . (Emphasis in original.) Ms. Harvey cited KRS 61.878(1) as the statutory basis for denying Mr. Ruberg access to the disputed records, but did not explain how that provision authorizes nondisclosure of those records. Her assertion that the records are privileged, and should be obtained through discovery in view of the ongoing litigation between the parties, is insufficient because she fails to articulate, in terms of the requirements of the statute, the basis for denial. A generic determination that entire categories of records are excluded from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Open Records Act does not satisfy the requirements of the Act. KRS 61.878(1) was amended in 1994, and now provides: The following public records are excluded from the application of KRS 61.870 to 61.884 and shall be subject to inspection only upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction, except that no court shall authorize the inspection by any party of any materials pertaining to civil litigation beyond that which is provided by the Rules of Civil Procedure governing pretrial discovery[.] (Emphasis added.) At page 4 of 95-ORD-18, we construed this language to mean: that should an agency deny a request, submitted by a party to a civil action, for properly excludable public records which are related to that action, and which are also protected from pretrial discovery by the Rules of Civil Procedure, and the requester/party subsequently challenges that denial in a court of competent jurisdiction, pursuant to KRS 61.882, the court shall not order disclosure of those records to the requester/party, though it might otherwise do so in its discretion. (Emphasis in original.) We noted that the introduction of the highlighted language does not alter our interpretation of the Act, this office having long recognized that records which are privileged are not subject to inspection pursuant to KRS 61.878(1)(l) and related authorities. Id. Nor, we added, does it alter our view that an agency's duty under the Act is not suspended in the presence of litigation. Id. The latter position is premised on the notion that [r]equests under Open Records provisions, to inspect records held by public agencies, are founded upon a statutory basis independent of the rules of discovery. OAG 89-65, p. 3. In the latter opinion, we reasoned: Inspection of records held by public agencies under Open Records provisions is provided for by statute, without regard to the presence of litigation. There is no indication in the Open Records provisions that application of the rules therein are suspended in the presence of litigation. . . . Public agencies must respond to requests made under the Open Records provisions in accordance with KRS 61.880. OAG 89-65, p. 3, 4. Similarly, in OAG 89-53, we observed: The presence of litigation among the parties . . . should not operate to prevent inspection of public records, since separate statutory grounds for inspection have been provided by the General Assembly. No exceptions to the general rules regarding inspection are provided for denying inspection of public records on the ground that litigation is either contemplated or in process. OAG 89-53, p. 4. The Campbell County Cable Board improperly adopts a policy of blanket exclusion relative to correspondence, memoranda, notes or documents between the Board, its agents, employees or representatives to or from its consultants and experts, their agents, employees, or representatives, and any governmental unit located in Campbell County, its agents, representatives, or employees, from January 1, 1995 to the present. In construing the agency's obligations under KRS 61.880(1), the Kentucky Court of Appeals recently observed: The language of the statute directing agency action is exact. It requires the custodian of records to provide particular and detailed information in response to a request for documents. . . . [W]e cannot agree [that a] . . . limited and perfunctory response to . . . [a] request even remotely complie[s] with the requirements of the Act much less that it amount[s] to substantial compliance. Edmonson v Alig, Ky. App., 926 S.W.2d 856, 858 (1996). Thus, we do not suggest that the Board's reliance on KRS 61.878(1) was completely misplaced, only that it failed to provide sufficiently particular and detailed information in response to [Mr. Ruberg's] request. While neither this office nor the Kentucky courts have ever required an itemized index correlating each document withheld with a specific exemption, such as that required by the federal courts in Vaughn v Rogers, 484 F.2d 830 (D.C. Cir. 1973), cert. denied 415 U.S. 977 (1974), and which Mr. Ruberg demands, we believe that the Board is obligated to provide particularized justification for the withholding of documents, or groups of documents, which are properly excludable, and to release any documents which do not fall squarely within the parameters of the exceptions and are therefore not excludable. As noted, the presence of litigation does not suspend the Board's obligations under the Open Records Act. We note, in closing, that the Campbell County Cable Board did not refuse to honor Mr. Ruberg's request on the grounds that it was a blanket request for any and all documents generated in a two year period. Nor did it assert that production of those records would place an unreasonable burden on it per KRS 61.872(6). Where, however, an applicant requests copies of records, KRS 61.872(3)(b) requires that he precisely describe [ ] the records which are readily available within the agency. This provision comports with the rule that if a person cannot describe the documents he seeks with sufficient specificity, the public agency is not required to conduct a search for those documents. OAG 91-58. It reflects the view that: State agencies and employees are the servants of the people as stated in the Preamble to the Open Records Act, but they are the servants of all the people and not only of persons who may make extreme and unreasonable demands on their time. . . . [A] person desiring that lists be made or that he have copies of broad categories of information must expend his own time in digging out the information unless it has already been compiled. OAG 76-375, p. 4. The Campbell County Cable Board and Mr. Ruberg may wish to bear these observations in mind in future open records exchanges. In sum, we find that the Campbell County Cable Board's response was untimely, and to this extent procedurally deficient, but that the Board did not commit a procedural violation of the Open Records Act when it responded to Mr. Ruberg's request through its attorney. We further find that the Board failed to meet its statutory burden of proof in sustaining its denial of Mr. Ruberg's request pursuant to KRS 61.880(1). In light of the Court of Appeals' decision in Edmondson, supra, the burden on the custodian of records to provide particular and detailed information in response to a request for documents is clear. Consistent with the principles articulated above, the Board is therefore directed to release all nonexempt records which satisfy Mr. Ruberg's request, and to provide particularized justification for the withholding of documents, or groups of documents, which are properly excludable. A party aggrieved by this decision may appeal it by initiating action in the appropriate circuit court pursuant to KRS 61.880(5) and KRS 61.882. Pursuant to KRS61.880(3), the Attorney General should be notified of any action in circuit court, but should not be named as a party in that action or in any subsequent proceeding. A. B. Chandler III Amye L. Bensenhaver Assistant Attorney General Donald J. Ruberg O'Hara, Ruberg, Taylor, Sloan and Sergent P. O. Box 17411 Covington KY 41017-0411 Robin E. Harvey Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff 2800 Cincinnati Commerce Center 600 Vine Street Cincinnati OH 45202-2409 Campbell County Cable Board 175 Johns Hill Road Highland Heights KY 41076 However, in the same opinion, we admonished: We do not, in making this observation, indicate that Open Records provisions should be used as a substitute for requests under discovery procedures associated with civil actions. Where records may subsequently be offered as evidence in court, problems in establishing their integrity may be more difficult for those obtained under Open Records provisions, as compared with records obtained under discovery procedures.OAG 89-53, p. 4. Thus, this office has recognized the potential pitfalls of using the Open Records Act as a discovery tool. For example, the Board might characterize one or more of the records withheld as correspondence from Ms. Harvey to the Board on questions pertaining to franchise renewal and deny access on the basis of KRS 61.878(1)(l) and KRE 503 as privileged lawyer client communication which was not disclosed to third persons. | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 3,856 | [
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0d927343-879c-42db-b357-6eea118c02d7 | Friday, November 18, Pre-conquest | social_studies | historical_context | On Friday, November 18, the Pre-conquest Indigenous Cultures & its Aftermath (PICA) Conference held its last day with a theme exploring The Struggle for Indigenous Communities for Self Determination. PICA celebrates the similarities and nuances among Asian, Latinos, and Indigenous groups and is a collaboration between the American Ethnic Studies Department—University of Washington, OCA—Greater Seattle, Duwamish Tribe, Chinook Tribe, Chinese American Citizen Alliance, and more. The day started off with a tour of the Burke Museum, followed by a screening of the Promised Land, and a cultural presentation by the Duwamish and Chinook Tribe.
The Promise Land follows the Duwamish and Chinook tribe as they fight for the restoration of treaty rights that have been long denied. Exploring the relationship between the federal government and indigenous tribes, Promised Land examines how the United States government and society treats tribal sovereignty.
The Chinook tribe resided in the lower Columbia River region, around southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. Most notably, the Chinook welcomed Lewis and Clark to the Pacific Ocean. In 1851, the Chinook tribe signed the Tansy Point Treaty with Anson Dart, the Superintendent for Indian Affairs in the Oregon Territory. The Tansy Point Treaty allowed the Chinook to live in their aboriginal territory, maintain access to resources, and most importantly, remain in close-proximity with their ancestors. However, the U.S. government, never formally ratified the treaty, although the Chinook upheld their obligations.
The Duwamish tribe are the First People of the City of Seattle, Mercer Island, Renton, Bellevue, Tukwila, and much of King County. In 1855, representatives from the Duwamish, Suquamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, Lummi, Skagit, Swinomish, other tribes, and Territorial Governor Isaac Steven signed the Treaty of Point Elliott. The Treaty of Point Elliott guaranteed fishing rights and reservations to the tribes. However, the U.S. government did not fulfill its commitments to the Duwamish under the Point Elliott Treaty, and did not received a reservation.
The lack of federal recognition of Duwamish and Chinook sovereignty is even more striking in Seattle and Pacific Northwest. Seattle is named after a Duwamish chief, Chief Si’ahk. Cities and towns throughout the Pacific Northwest are in Chinuk Wawa and Lushootseed, the region’s indigenous language.
Promised Land interviewed former Representatives Brian Baird (WA-3rd District) and Jim McDermott (WA-7th) who advocated for federal recognition of the Chinook and Duwamish tribe. In 2001, toward the end of the Clinton administration, the United States recognized the Duwamish tribe. However, during the Bush administration, the government withdrew its recognition of the Duwamish tribe, citing procedural errors. However, without Baird or McDermott in Congress, it is uncertain if the Duwamish and Chinook will have an ally in government or how close they will be to receiving federal recognition.
Both the Duwamish and Chinook tribes have governing structures. These tribes signed treaties, helped white settlers, and lost their land. The Duwamish and Chinook are not necessarily asking for money, reparations, or assisted resources. Rather, both tribes ask for the federal government to recognize that they exist and uphold the treaties that both governments signed.
Promised Land was screened at the following film festivals and is recognized in the film community:
- Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking, 10th Annual LA Skins Fest
- Official selection for the 41st Annual American Indian Film Festival
- Northwest Film Forum’s 19th Local Sightings Film Festival
- 12th Annual Ellensburg Film Festival
- 5th Annual Social Justice Film Festival
With recent events in the Standing Rock protest against the North Dakota Access Pipeline, indigenous rights continue to be violated throughout the United States. Indigenous identity and sovereignty is a social justice issue and we should address. Whose land do we inhabit and how do we right these wrongs? | 0.65 | medium | 4 | 880 | [
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b44b5d91-0f4f-412e-8f86-853e1b7bc2be | Here diagnostic assessment designed | science | qa_pairs | Here is a diagnostic assessment designed to probe understanding of nonlinear optics, emphasizing conceptual depth and identifying specific misconceptions. ## Nonlinear Optics Diagnostic Assessment This assessment evaluates your comprehension of nonlinear optical phenomena, their underlying principles, and their applications. It aims to differentiate between rote memorization and true conceptual understanding by comparing and contrasting nonlinear effects with their linear counterparts and exploring the relationships between different nonlinear processes. --- **Question 1: Conceptual Understanding (Multiple Choice)** **Question:** In a nonlinear optical medium, how does the refractive index ($n$) typically depend on the intensity ($I$) of the incident light? * **A) $n = n_0 + n_2 I$** * **B) $n = n_0 - n_2 I$** * **C) $n = n_0 \sqrt{1 + n_2 I}$** * **D) $n = n_0 + n_2 \sin(I)$** **Answer:** A **Explanation:** This question tests the fundamental definition of the optical Kerr effect, a primary nonlinear phenomenon. The refractive index in a nonlinear medium is often described by a linear dependence on intensity, where $n_0$ is the linear refractive index and $n_2$ is the nonlinear refractive index coefficient. This relationship directly leads to intensity-dependent phenomena like self-focusing. **Why others are wrong:** * **B) $n = n_0 - n_2 I$**: This option incorrectly suggests a decrease in refractive index with increasing intensity, which is characteristic of specific, less common nonlinear effects or a misinterpretation of the sign convention for certain materials. The most prevalent nonlinear refractive index effect (Kerr effect) leads to an increase. * **C) $n = n_0 \sqrt{1 + n_2 I}$**: This form might arise from specific approximations or different nonlinear mechanisms, but it does not represent the standard and most common description of the intensity-dependent refractive index in the context of the Kerr effect. It implies a non-linear relationship that is not the primary model. * **D) $n = n_0 + n_2 \sin(I)$**: This option introduces a sinusoidal dependence, which is not characteristic of the fundamental intensity-dependent refractive index. While some complex nonlinear interactions might exhibit oscillatory behavior, the basic nonlinear response is typically polynomial (linear in intensity for the Kerr effect). --- **Question 2: Application (Problem Solving)** **Scenario:** A high-intensity laser beam with a Gaussian spatial profile is propagating through a medium exhibiting a positive nonlinear refractive index ($n_2 > 0$). **Task:** Describe the qualitative change in the spatial profile of the laser beam as it propagates through this medium. Explain the physical mechanism responsible for this change. **Solution Approach:** 1. **Identify the relevant nonlinear effect:** The scenario points towards the optical Kerr effect, where the refractive index depends on intensity. 2. **Relate intensity to refractive index:** Since $n_2 > 0$, higher intensity regions will experience a higher refractive index. 3. **Analyze beam propagation:** In a medium with a spatially varying refractive index, the beam will refract. Regions of higher refractive index act like lenses. 4. **Describe the spatial profile change:** A Gaussian beam has its highest intensity at the center. Therefore, the center of the beam will experience a higher refractive index than the edges. This creates a gradient in the refractive index, acting as a focusing lens. The beam will converge. **Common Errors:** * Confusing positive ($n_2 > 0$) and negative ($n_2 < 0$) nonlinear refractive indices, leading to the prediction of beam spreading (defocusing) instead of focusing. * Failing to connect the intensity profile of the Gaussian beam to the spatial variation of the refractive index. * Attributing the change to diffraction alone, neglecting the dominant nonlinear effect. --- **Question 3: Analysis (Compare/Contrast)** **Prompt:** Compare and contrast second-harmonic generation (SHG) with the optical Kerr effect. Highlight their fundamental differences in terms of the optical process, the required material properties, and the typical experimental conditions. **Key Distinctions:** * **Optical Process:** SHG is a **frequency-mixing** process where two photons of frequency $\omega$ combine to produce one photon of frequency $2\omega$. The optical Kerr effect is a **refractive index modulation** process where the refractive index changes with light intensity, affecting the propagation of the light itself, but not its frequency. * **Material Properties:** SHG requires a material with **second-order nonlinear susceptibility ($\chi^{(2)}$)**, which is non-zero only in non-centrosymmetric crystals. The optical Kerr effect arises from the **third-order nonlinear susceptibility ($\chi^{(3)}$)**, which is present in virtually all materials, though its magnitude varies. * **Symmetry:** The $\chi^{(2)}$ nonlinearity is tied to the **lack of inversion symmetry** in the material's crystal structure. The $\chi^{(3)}$ nonlinearity, responsible for the Kerr effect, is present even in centrosymmetric materials. * **Experimental Conditions:** SHG often requires **phase matching** to efficiently convert frequency, which dictates specific crystal orientations and beam propagation directions relative to crystallographic axes. The Kerr effect occurs whenever the light intensity is sufficiently high, and its primary manifestation (self-focusing) does not strictly require phase matching in the same way. **Depth Indicator:** A proficient answer will explicitly link $\chi^{(2)}$ to SHG and $\chi^{(3)}$ to the Kerr effect, and explain the symmetry requirements for each. It will also discuss the implications of phase matching for SHG versus the more general occurrence of the Kerr effect. --- **Question 4: Synthesis (Open-ended)** **Challenge:** Imagine you are designing a photonic crystal device intended for all-optical switching. Briefly outline how you might leverage a nonlinear optical effect to achieve this switching functionality. **Expected Elements:** * Identification of a suitable nonlinear effect (e.g., Kerr effect, two-photon absorption, stimulated Raman scattering). * Explanation of how the nonlinear effect can alter a property of the photonic crystal (e.g., its bandgap, transmission spectrum, or refractive index). * Description of a "control" beam and a "signal" beam, and how the interaction between them via the nonlinear medium leads to switching. * Consideration of the required intensity levels and material properties. **Levels of Response:** * **Basic:** Mentions a nonlinear effect and vaguely suggests it can change light properties. * **Proficient:** Clearly links a nonlinear effect (e.g., Kerr effect) to a change in the photonic crystal's optical properties (e.g., bandgap shift) and describes a basic switching mechanism involving control and signal beams. * **Advanced:** Proposes a specific photonic crystal structure and a detailed switching mechanism, perhaps involving resonant enhancement of nonlinearities or specific phase matching conditions within the crystal, and discusses potential limitations. --- **Question 5: Evaluation (Critical Thinking)** **Scenario:** A researcher claims to have observed efficient third-harmonic generation (THG) in a bulk silicon sample using a femtosecond laser pulse at 1550 nm. Silicon is centrosymmetric. **Criteria:** Evaluate the plausibility of this claim, considering the fundamental nonlinear optical properties of silicon. **Reasoning Required:** This question requires evaluating the claim against known principles. * **Plausibility:** The claim is plausible. While silicon is centrosymmetric, meaning its $\chi^{(2)}$ susceptibility is zero, it possesses a non-zero $\chi^{(3)}$ susceptibility. * **Mechanism:** Third-harmonic generation is a $\chi^{(3)}$ nonlinear process. It involves the interaction of three fundamental frequency photons to produce one photon at three times the frequency. Therefore, THG *can* occur in centrosymmetric materials like silicon. * **Comparison:** This contrasts with SHG, which relies on $\chi^{(2)}$ and would not occur in bulk silicon. The efficiency of THG in silicon, especially with femtosecond pulses, is a known phenomenon, often enhanced by resonant effects or specific structural properties not detailed in the scenario. --- **Self-Assessment Rubric** * **Novice:** Can recall basic definitions of linear optics but struggles to differentiate nonlinear phenomena. Difficulty understanding intensity-dependent effects. * **Developing:** Understands that nonlinear optics involves light-matter interaction at high intensities. Can identify some nonlinear effects but may confuse their underlying mechanisms or material requirements. * **Proficient:** Can explain the core nonlinear effects (Kerr, SHG, THG) and their relationship to material susceptibilities ($\chi^{(2)}, \chi^{(3)}$). Can apply these concepts to simple scenarios and compare/contrast different phenomena. * **Expert:** Demonstrates a deep understanding of the interplay between different nonlinear processes, phase matching conditions, material symmetries, and their impact on device design. Can critically evaluate experimental claims and propose novel applications. **Gap Identification Guide:** * **Difficulty with Question 1:** Indicates a weak grasp of the fundamental intensity dependence of the refractive index. Focus on the optical Kerr effect. * **Errors in Question 2:** Suggests a lack of understanding in applying nonlinear principles to beam propagation or confusion between focusing/defocusing. * **Weaknesses in Question 3:** Points to confusion between different nonlinear processes, particularly regarding material symmetries and the order of nonlinear susceptibility. * **Limited response to Question 4:** Shows difficulty in synthesizing knowledge to propose practical applications. * **Incorrect evaluation in Question 5:** Reveals a misunderstanding of which nonlinear effects are allowed in centrosymmetric materials. | 0.65 | medium | 7 | 2,054 | [
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fcb654a6-e172-4c8e-bab1-4cf88c277b32 | Want to Become a Cyber Analyst | technology | data_analysis | Want to Become a Cyber Analyst? Here are some things you need to know
Nowadays, businesses worldwide are in danger of getting their information stolen from hackers—the frequency of cyber-attacks is increasing at an alarming rate. The surge was partially due to so many people working from home in the past couple of years. While technology and remote working brought their benefits, there have been consequences too. For example, in 2021, companies lost over $4 million to data breaches. It has led to a rapid rise in demand for cyber analysts.
What is a Cyber Analyst?
Cyber Analysts are responsible for protecting a company’s network and computer systems from data breaches. They look for any suspicious activity, develop backup plans for attacks, report any attacks, and educate company employees’ on security measures in case of a breach. In addition, they stay well informed on the latest IT trends and hacker tools to keep on top of their game.
Academic Requirements for Cyber Analysts
The minimum academic requirement for cyber analysts is a bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming, cyberpsychology, or a similar field. Most employers prefer candidates who have a degree as well as advanced training. Therefore, it is recommended for graduates of these programs to get additional training through online courses, industry certifications, and cyber-security boot camps. There are options available for people who cannot attend college due to their busy schedules. Reputable universities have started to offer an online MS Cyberpsychology program for people to complete the degree at their own pace.
In addition, cyber analysts must have the following soft skills:
- Effective communication: In the event of an attack, cyber analysts will have to direct employees regarding security measures
- Active Listening: This is the ability to listen attentively. Cyber analysts will have to take orders from management and answer questions or concerns of employees. Thus, active listening plays a crucial part in these interactions.
- Customer-service oriented: Having a positive attitude and eagerness to help coworkers.
- Presentation: Cyber analysts will have to present security reports to the company’s management. They will have to explain complex topics in simple terms so everyone can understand.
- Management skills: They must have the ability to manage time and projects.
- Creative problem-solving: Cyber analysts deal with complex problems daily. They will need creative problem-solving skills to come up with solutions.
- Persuasion: Cyber analysts find problems and their solutions. They will then have to persuade company management regarding the best course of action.
- Independent: Cyber analysts work by themselves most of the time and have to be comfortable with that.
- Leadership: Cyber analysts perform a stressful role. In the event of an attack, they have to lead their company to safety by guiding everyone on the necessary steps to take.
- Critical thinking: Cyber analysts must think logically even in times of crisis when emotions are high.
- Research: Hackers design new digital weapons every day to use against businesses. Cyber analysts have to design countermeasures, which require research on the latest trends in the industry.
- Willingness to learn: Related to the last skill. Cyber analysts will have to read up on many industry trends, and they must be willing to do it.
Cyber Analyst Job Responsibilities
Cyber-attacks come without warning at any given time. Cyber analysts have to stay on their toes to counter them. Job descriptions may differ from company to company, but here are the most common responsibilities of cyber analysts:
- Managing software: Install, manage, and update the software on all company’s systems and networks. In addition, install security measures against attacks on all company’s systems and networks.
- Monitor Networks: Perform regular checks on all activities on a company’s networks and keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
- Educate Coworkers: Educate coworkers on security measures to take in the event of an attack.
- Report Findings: Tell company management about security issues and steps taken to resolve them.
- Research: Always stay ahead of the curve by researching the latest industry trends in IT and security. Find ways to design countermeasures against the latest digital weapons.
Data breaches are becoming more and more frequent, with more than 7 billion business records exposed in 2019. It has led to growth in the cyber security field. Experts predict that cyber analysts’ jobs will increase over 30 percent from 2019 to 2029.
Salary of Cyber Analysts
Due to the rapid increase in cyber-attacks, companies pay lucrative contracts to even entry-level candidates. Cyber analysts at entry-level with minimum experience can earn an average of over $50k per year. After a few years of gaining experience, they can make an average of over $75k per year. Top-level cyber analysts with 5+ years of experience can earn an average of $110k per year.
If becoming a cyber analyst doesn’t seem interesting, but you would still like to work in the cyber-security field, you can choose from the following positions:
- Computer Security Specialist
- Security Administrator
Computer Security Specialist
Computer security specialists are IT experts who protect corporate information systems from hackers. They develop, maintain, and update security systems. They also stop any privacy breaches. Lastly, they train the staff on security protocols in the event of an attack.
Computer Security Specialists must also have the following skills:
- The ability to detect a breach
- Conduct malware analysis
- Cloud Security
- Security Analysis
- Conducting risk analysis
- Minimizing risks
- Penetration testing
- loT security
- Network security
Salary of Computer Security Specialists
Entry-level computer security specialists earn an average of over $45k per year. Those with a few years of experience under their belt earn an average of over $65k per year. Top-level computer security specialists earn an average of over $105k per year.
Systems administrators are responsible for maintaining and developing computer systems and servers. They also resolve any problems with computer systems and servers to avoid work disruption within the organization.
Salary of a Systems Administrator
Systems administrators at entry-level earn an average of over $45k per year. After a few years in the industry, they can make an average of over $60k per year. Systems administrators with more than five years of experience can earn an average of over $85k per year.
Hackers are a constant threat to businesses. Data breaches have rapidly increased, and companies are looking to fight back. It has led to an increase in demand for cyber analysts. Fortunately, well-reputed universities offer excellent online programs for people interested in becoming cyber analysts. If you are interested in fighting technology with technology, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon along with other cyber enthusiasts. | 0.65 | medium | 4 | 1,422 | [
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044bd737-7c1d-4e0d-83db-59fef3df8736 | Electrical Systems Management API | technology | historical_context | # Electrical Systems Management API (Applied Business Focus) Welcome, developer! Are you looking to integrate real-time or historical data about essential electrical infrastructure within your business applications? Understanding the state of power systems—from consumption monitoring to fault detection—is crucial for operational efficiency, isn't it? This documentation guides you through querying and managing data related to **Electrical Systems** as they pertain to **Applied Business Fields** (e.g., facility management, energy auditing, cost allocation). --- ## 1. API Overview & Authentication Before we dive into the specifics of endpoints, how do we ensure only authorized systems can access sensitive operational data? ### Base URL What is the starting point for all our interactions? `https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business/electrical_systems` ### Authentication: The Key to Access To maintain security, every request must prove its identity. We utilize **Bearer Token Authentication** via the `Authorization` header. **How do you present your credentials?** You must include your secret token in the request header like this: | Header Name | Example Value | Purpose | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `Authorization` | `Bearer aBcDeFg12345hIjKlMnOpQrStUvWxYz` | Your unique access token. | **Self-Check Question:** If you forget to include this header, what do you anticipate the server will respond with? (Hint: Think about standard unauthorized responses.) --- ## 2. Endpoint Definitions: Discovering System Data We've structured the endpoints around common business needs: retrieving overall system health, drilling down into specific meters, and checking historical consumption. ### 2.1 Get System Health Summary **Goal:** How can we quickly gauge the overall electrical status across all monitored facilities? | Method | Path | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `GET` | `/summary` | Retrieves aggregated metrics (e.g., total current load, anomaly count). | #### Parameters Are there any filters we need to apply to narrow down which facilities contribute to this summary? | Name | Location | Type | Required | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `facility_id` | Query | String | No | Filter results to a specific facility ID. | | `time_window` | Query | String | No | Defines the aggregation period (e.g., `24h`, `7d`). Defaults to `1h`. | #### Responses What does a successful summary look like? **Status Code: `200 OK`** ```json { "timestamp": "2024-05-15T10:00:00Z", "total_active_load_kw": 1542.8, "average_power_factor": 0.94, "anomaly_count_24h": 3, "system_status": "Nominal", "facility_breakdown": [ { "facility_id": "FAC-HQ-001", "current_load_kw": 890.5, "status": "High_Usage" } ] } ``` --- ### 2.2 Retrieve Meter Readings **Goal:** If we need granular data for billing or detailed analysis, how do we target a specific measurement point (meter)? | Method | Path | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `GET` | `/meters/{meter_id}` | Fetches the latest reading and configuration for a specific meter. | #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `meter_id` | String | The unique identifier for the electrical meter being queried. | #### Parameters How can we request data over a specific time range for this meter? | Name | Location | Type | Required | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `start_time` | Query | String (ISO 8601) | Yes | The beginning of the desired data retrieval window. | | `end_time` | Query | String (ISO 8601) | Yes | The end of the desired data retrieval window. | | `resolution` | Query | String | No | Data aggregation level (`raw`, `15min`, `hourly`). Defaults to `15min`. | #### Responses **Status Code: `200 OK`** ```json { "meter_id": "MTR-A4B2C1", "location": "Server Room A", "unit_of_measure": "kWh", "readings": [ { "time": "2024-05-15T09:45:00Z", "value": 12345.67, "kvar": 450.2 }, { "time": "2024-05-15T10:00:00Z", "value": 12350.12, "kvar": 451.1 } ] } ``` --- ### 2.3 Update Meter Configuration (Administrative Action) **Goal:** Sometimes, business logic changes, requiring us to adjust how a meter is categorized (e.g., moving a meter from "General Use" to "HVAC Load" for cost center tracking). | Method | Path | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `PATCH` | `/meters/{meter_id}` | Updates specific configuration fields for a meter. | #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `meter_id` | String | The ID of the meter whose configuration needs updating. | #### Request Body (Schema) What fields are mutable? We only send the fields we intend to change. ```json { "metadata": { "cost_center": "CC-4001-RND", "load_type": "HVAC_Primary" }, "alert_threshold_kw": 500.0 } ``` #### Responses **Status Code: `200 OK`** (Successful update confirmation) ```json { "message": "Meter MTR-A4B2C1 configuration updated successfully.", "updated_fields": ["metadata.load_type", "alert_threshold_kw"] } ``` **Status Code: `201 Created`** (If this were an addition, though `PATCH` usually returns 200) --- ## 3. Error Handling & Resilience When integrating systems, failures are inevitable. How does the API communicate *why* a request failed? We use standard HTTP status codes, but the body provides the crucial context. **If a request fails, what structured information should you expect to see?** | Status Code | Scenario | Discovery Question | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `400 Bad Request` | Invalid query parameters (e.g., `end_time` before `start_time`). | How can you use the `error_code` to automate error logging specific to input validation? | | `401 Unauthorized` | Missing or invalid Bearer Token. | What should your application do immediately upon receiving this code? | | `403 Forbidden` | Token is valid, but the associated user lacks permission for the requested resource (e.g., trying to `PATCH` a meter in a restricted facility). | How does this differ from `401`? What does it tell you about the identity verification process? | | `404 Not Found` | The requested `meter_id` does not exist. | If you query `/summary` and get a 404, what might that imply about the overall system configuration? | | `429 Too Many Requests` | Rate limit exceeded. | How can you use the `Retry-After` header (if present) to build smarter retry logic? | | `500 Internal Server Error` | Something unexpected happened on our end. | If you see this, what is the best course of action for the client application? | ### Standard Error Response Body ```json { "status": 400, "error_code": "INVALID_TIME_RANGE", "message": "The provided 'end_time' must be chronologically after 'start_time'.", "details": { "parameter_offending": "start_time, end_time" } } ``` ### Rate Limiting To ensure stability for all users, we enforce a limit of **100 requests per minute** per API key. If you hit this ceiling, you will receive a `429 Too Many Requests` response. --- ## 4. Code Examples: Putting It Into Practice How do we translate these specifications into actual calls? Let's explore how different environments might interact with the `/summary` endpoint. *(Assume your token is stored in an environment variable named `API_TOKEN`)* ### A. cURL (Command Line Exploration) If you're quickly testing endpoints or scripting in a shell, cURL is your friend. ```bash # Goal: Fetch the current system summary API_TOKEN="your_secret_bearer_token_here" curl -X GET "https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business/electrical_systems/summary?facility_id=FAC-HQ-001" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_TOKEN" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" ``` **Guided Investigation:** What happens if you remove the `facility_id` query parameter from the cURL command above? What does that tell you about the default behavior of the API? ### B. Python (Using the `requests` library) For robust application logic, Python is often preferred. ```python import requests import os BASE_URL = "https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business/electrical_systems" API_TOKEN = os.getenv("API_TOKEN", "FALLBACK_TOKEN_IF_NOT_SET") def get_system_summary(): headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {API_TOKEN}", "Accept": "application/json" } params = { "time_window": "7d" # Let's look at the last week's aggregation } try: response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/summary", headers=headers, params=params) # Did the request succeed? if response.status_code == 200: print("System Summary Retrieved Successfully:") print(response.json()) else: # If not 200, let's examine the error structure print(f"Error {response.status_code}: {response.json().get('message', 'Unknown Error')}") except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e: print(f"A network error occurred: {e}") if __name__ == "__main__": get_system_summary() ``` ### C. JavaScript (Node.js using `fetch`) For modern backend services written in JavaScript. ```javascript const fetch = require('node-fetch'); // You might need to install node-fetch const BASE_URL = "https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business/electrical_systems"; const API_TOKEN = process.env.API_TOKEN || "YOUR_JS_TOKEN"; async function patchMeterConfig(meterId, updates) { const url = `${BASE_URL}/meters/${meterId}`; try { const response = await fetch(url, { method: 'PATCH', headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_TOKEN}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(updates) }); if (response.ok) { const data = await response.json(); console.log(`Configuration update successful for ${meterId}:`, data.message); } else { const errorData = await response.json(); console.error(`Failed to update ${meterId}. Status: ${response.status}`); console.error("Error Details:", errorData.message); } } catch (error) { console.error("Fetch operation failed:", error); } } // Example usage: Re-categorizing a meter patchMeterConfig("MTR-A4B2C1", { metadata: { cost_center: "CC-9999-AUDIT" } }); ``` Do these examples clarify how you would implement error checking and parameter passing in your preferred language? Where do you see the next logical step in exploring this API—perhaps investigating the structure of the `facility_breakdown` object? | 0.7 | medium | 6 | 2,749 | [
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d66317e4-1061-427b-b3e0-c286056d3aaa | Iceland, island settled 9th | social_studies | historical_context | Iceland, an island settled in the 9th century AD by renegade NORWEGIAN chieftains and their followers, is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a fairly moderate climate.
Icelanders, coming by way of Greenland, were the first European visitors to what is now Canada. ERIC THE RED established a settlement in Greenland in about 985 AD, and in 986 BJARNI HERJOLFSSON made the first known sighting by Europeans of the northeast coast of Canada. Archaeological excavations at L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS demonstrate that Norse settled in Newfoundland. KARLSEFNI's son Snorri was probably the first European born in what is now Canada.
Iceland, an island settled in the 9th century AD by renegade NORWEGIAN chieftains and their followers, is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a fairly moderate climate. Its uninhabitable interior is a volcanic mountain plateau of glaciers, lava fields and desert, but the treeless coast provides grazing land for sheep and cultivation. The Icelandic Althing (established 930 AD) is the oldest parliament in the world. The nation has the highest literacy rate in the world, with more books, periodicals and newspapers published per capita than anywhere else.
Through the centuries Icelanders suffered many natural calamities. By 1800 the national population was reduced to only 47 000 by disease, starvation and volcanic eruptions. In the 19th century, new disasters, including sheep epidemics, a deterioration in the climate and more volcanic eruptions, followed. The Danish government, which controlled Iceland at the time, offered to relocate the entire population to Denmark. The Icelanders declined, although small parties immigrated to Brazil and Wisconsin. The first Icelander to land on Canadian shores since his Norse ancestors was 22-year-old Sigtryggur Jonasson, who arrived in Québec City on 12 September 1872.
In 1873 about 150 more Icelanders arrived in Québec, encouraged by Jonasson. They were given free transportation to Ontario by the Canadian government, as well as offers of free land. Rosseau, in the Muskoka district, was selected as a site, but government employment, which had been promised until the land was cleared, was not adequate, and most settlers soon left, leaving behind a small permanent settlement.
A second party arrived in 1874, settling in Kinmount, Ont. A Nova Scotian immigration officer induced a large number to relocate at what the Icelanders called Markland, NS, near Halifax, with offers of land, household appliances and financial aid. The land was not arable, however.
In 1875, 235 Icelanders travelled north by flatboat on the Red River from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the west shore of Lake WINNIPEG. There they had been promised an Icelandic reserve in what was then an unorganized part of the North-West Territories. This reserve, established by an order-in-council, became New Iceland, a unique political structure in Canadian history. In 1876, 1200 others joined the first group. Fifty immigrants had remained in Winnipeg the first year, and 200 the second, creating the basis for the first permanent urban Icelandic settlement in Canada.
In New Iceland the settlers created their own laws, maintained their own schools, and generally managed their own affairs. A series of natural disasters, including floods and a smallpox epidemic 1876-77, decimated the population, until in 1878 a general exodus to Winnipeg and North Dakota began. By 1881 the population of the New Iceland area had declined to about 250.
In 1881, as well, the provincial boundaries were extended north, and New Iceland became part of Manitoba, though remaining to this day, heavily Icelandic. The main settlement in New Iceland was GIMLI. Other rural areas of Manitoba settled by Icelanders include Lundar (on Lake Manitoba); Glenboro, in the southwestern region of the province; SELKIRK, north of Winnipeg; and Morden to the south.
Icelanders continued to immigrate to Winnipeg throughout the last 20 years of the 19th and 20th centuries. Later settlements were established in rural Saskatchewan and Alberta, but these were largely settled by families and individuals moving from Manitoba and from Icelandic settlements in the US. Descendants of Icelanders now live across Canada. Between 1978 and 1984, 105 Icelanders immigrated to Canada. The 2006 census reported that 88 875 Canadians listed Icelandic as their ethnic origin (single and multiple response).
Most of the immigrants remained in farming, generally their profession at home. Agricultural settlement in Ontario and Nova Scotia proved unsuccessful and conditions in New Iceland were not much better. The freshwater fishery contributed to the economic viability of New Iceland.
The immigrants sent their children to universities whenever possible, which may have influenced the pattern of assimilation. Icelanders did not encounter much prejudice and there was a fairly high rate of intermarriage between Icelanders and the settled population. Typically, Icelanders entered the professions, particularly medicine, law and education.
Social Life and Community
From the time New Iceland was settled, Icelanders have preserved elements of traditional Icelandic society, culture and language. Factionalism, however, has permeated almost all of the Icelanders' endeavours, and this is reflected in their many voluntary associations, most of which, in New Iceland, were organized around religious themes and topics.
The most important association historically, the Icelandic National League of North America, was founded in 1919 to assist Icelanders to adapt to Canada and to preserve elements of Icelandic heritage. Chapters of the league were established in almost every traditional Icelandic settlement and in the cities to which children of the immigrants had relocated. In 1942 the Icelandic Canadian Club began publishing the first English-language Icelandic publication in North America, the Icelandic Canadian magazine.
The Icelandic associations have traditionally hosted events for social and educational reasons, the most important being the Icelandic Festival (Islendingadagurinn), first held in Winnipeg in 1890, and now held annually since 1932 in Gimli on August 2. Originally, the purpose was to commemorate the granting of a constitution to Iceland in 1874, but in time it has also become an event to honour the Icelandic pioneers in Canada.
Religion and Cultural Life
The Lutheran Church (the state church in Iceland) has been the most prominent, and the Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Synod of America held its first conference in Winnipeg in 1885. The Unitarian Church was the second-largest church among Icelanders, although it is not clear how this situation developed. The first Unitarian Church opened in 1892. Considerable political and theological rivalry existed between members of the 2 denominations in Winnipeg and this carried over into many of the smaller, rural communities. The United Church is now the second-largest denomination among Icelanders.
The first Icelandic newspaper in North America was Framfari (The Progress), published in New Iceland between 1877 and 1880. Between 1879 and 1910, 8 other publications originated in Gimli. In 1886 the Icelandic newspaper Heimskringla (The World) was founded. Lögberg (The Tribune) was founded in 1887, partly in opposition to Heimskringla. Both were published in Icelandic. They were amalgamated in 1959 into Lögberg-Heimskringla, published in English.
Literature dating the sagas and the settlement of Iceland is probably the most unifying theme in Icelandic culture. The Icelanders in Canada have produced many poets and novelists writing in both English and Icelandic. Stephán G. STEPHANSSON is considered by many critics to be the foremost Icelandic poet of this century. Stephansson's contemporary, Guttormur J. Guttormsson, was born in New Iceland in 1878 and did not visit Iceland until 1939. He was best known, perhaps, for the poem Sandy Bar, a tribute to the Icelandic pioneers in New Iceland. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the arctic explorer and anthropologist, wrote extensively on the Inuit. Contemporary Icelandic writers include the late Laura Goodman SALVERSON, winner of the Governor General's Award and the first editor of the Icelandic Canadian magazine and author of The Viking Heart and Confessions of an Immigrant's Daughter, William VALGARDSON, author of Bloodflowers and other works, David Arnason, playwright and author of collections of poetry, short stories and a novel, and Kristjana Gunnars, author of several books of poetry.
In Iceland literacy has long been a requirement for marriage and everyone was expected to have an intimate knowledge of the early sagas. In New Iceland a request was made for provision of a school even before homes had been built. In Winnipeg, Icelandic was first taught at Wesley College (now University of Winnipeg) in 1901. In that same year the Manitoba Department of Education approved the teaching of Icelandic in provincial schools (when requested by parents) and the University of Manitoba accepted it as a second language for incoming students. The Jon Bjarnson Academy, sponsored by the Lutheran Church, held secondary school classes in Winnipeg between 1913 and 1940. In 1951 the chair in Icelandic Language and Literature was established at the University of Manitoba. The Icelandic collection in the U of Man library now has a full-time curator and over 14 000 volumes. The 2006 census recorded 2 200 people whose mother tongue (first language learned) was Icelandic.
Icelanders are not identifiable with any particular political ideology or Canadian political party, although many have distinguished themselves in political service. In 1898 Sigtryggur Jonasson was elected to the Manitoba legislature to represent St Andrews. Margaret J. Benedictson, editor of the women's magazine Freyja from 1898 to 1910, formed the first women's suffrage society in Winnipeg in 1908. Thomas H. Johnson was appointed attorney general and minister of public works for Manitoba in 1915, becoming the first Icelandic Cabinet minister in Canada. Dr. George Johnson was Minister of Health for Manitoba before becoming lieutenant governor of the province in his later years. | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 2,244 | [
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e33e7c45-943d-45f9-b1e9-978ea82f0767 | Troubleshooting Guide: Ethical Drift | interdisciplinary | ethical_analysis | # Troubleshooting Guide: Ethical Drift in Applied Business Fields ## Introduction In the applied business environment, the efficacy of strategies, marketing, and operations is increasingly scrutinized not just for profitability, but for adherence to established moral virtues. When ethical frameworks—such as honesty, fairness, and responsibility—begin to degrade, the resulting "Ethical Drift" can lead to significant reputational damage, regulatory fines, and internal collapse. This guide provides a systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving common failures related to moral virtues in business operations, drawing upon real-world case studies. **Complexity Level:** 3/10 (Focus on observable business practices and immediate remediation) --- ## 1. Common Problems and Symptoms When moral virtues are compromised in a business context, symptoms often manifest as failures in transparency, consistency, or accountability. | Problem Area | Symptom/Manifestation | Associated Virtue Under Stress | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Data Handling & Privacy** | Unexpected data leaks; customer complaints about aggressive data use; internal teams bypassing established consent protocols. | **Honesty/Transparency** | | **Marketing & Sales** | Product claims that cannot be substantiated; aggressive upselling tactics targeting vulnerable demographics; inconsistent pricing structures. | **Truthfulness/Fairness** | | **Supply Chain Management** | Sudden, unexplained cost reductions in materials despite stable market conditions; whistleblower reports regarding labor practices in distant facilities. | **Responsibility/Justice** | | **Internal Culture** | High rates of employee turnover in specific departments; visible favoritism in promotions or resource allocation; fear of reporting mistakes. | **Integrity/Equity** | --- ## 2. Diagnostic Steps and Checks (The "Ethical Audit Trail") When symptoms appear, a systematic diagnostic process is required to trace the failure back to its source, much like debugging a complex software system. ### Step 2.1: Review Policy Adherence Documentation * **Check:** Do documented policies (e.g., Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, Supplier Agreements) exist for the compromised area? * **Evidence Collection:** Gather records of mandatory ethics training completion rates for the relevant teams over the last 18 months. *Low completion rates often correlate with higher ethical variance.* ### Step 2.2: Trace Decision Pathways * **Focus:** Identify the last three critical decisions made in the area exhibiting symptoms (e.g., the last three marketing campaigns, the last three supplier selections). * **Query:** Who approved the decision? Was the approval process documented? Did any stakeholder raise an internal objection that was subsequently overruled? ### Step 2.3: Stakeholder Perception Analysis (Internal & External) * **Internal Check (Integrity):** Conduct anonymous pulse surveys focusing on psychological safety. Ask: "Do you believe leadership acts consistently with the stated company values?" * **External Check (Transparency):** Analyze customer service logs and social media sentiment regarding the specific issue (e.g., pricing ambiguity, data usage). *A sudden spike in 'misleading' or 'unfair' keywords is a strong indicator.* --- ## 3. Error Messages and Their Meanings in Business Ethics While not traditional software errors, certain business indicators act as "error messages" signaling a breakdown in moral virtue: | "Error Message" (Business Indicator) | Meaning (Virtue Failure) | Real-World Illustration | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **"Regulatory Fine Exceeds Expected Cost of Compliance"** | **Failure of Responsibility.** The organization calculated that paying the fine was cheaper than implementing necessary systemic changes (e.g., pollution controls, data security upgrades). | **Case Study:** Certain pharmaceutical companies historically treating FDA warning letters as a mere "cost of doing business" rather than a mandate for immediate operational overhaul, prioritizing short-term profit over public safety. | | **"Internal Whistleblower Retaliation Claim Filed"** | **Failure of Integrity/Justice.** The organizational system designed to protect ethical reporting has been weaponized against the reporter. | **Context:** This signals a deep cultural rot where the stated value of "speaking up" is actively undermined by management structures. | | **"Customer Churn Spike Correlated with Feature X Launch"** | **Failure of Honesty/Transparency.** The new feature or service promised something different from what it delivered, violating the implicit contract with the user. | **Example:** The early rollout issues with certain "unlimited data" mobile plans that secretly throttled speeds after reaching an arbitrary threshold, leading to widespread accusations of deceptive marketing. | --- ## 4. Step-by-Step Solutions (Remediation Protocols) Solutions must target the systemic weak points that allowed the ethical lapse to occur, not just the immediate bad actor. ### Solution Set A: Addressing Transparency Failures (e.g., Misleading Claims) 1. **Immediate Pause:** Halt all communication, marketing, or sales activities related to the misleading claim. 2. **Full Disclosure Audit:** Task an independent internal audit team (reporting directly to the Board Ethics Committee, not operational management) to quantify the scope of the misrepresentation. 3. **Corrective Action:** Issue a clear, non-legalistic public statement acknowledging the error. If necessary, offer full remediation (refunds, service upgrades) proactively. * ***Evidence-Based Action:*** Following the Wells Fargo account fraud scandal, the bank was forced to overhaul its incentive structures and implement rigorous, documented quality control checks on account openings, directly addressing the root cause of excessive sales pressure. ### Solution Set B: Addressing Responsibility Failures (e.g., Supply Chain Lapses) 1. **Contractual Review:** Immediately suspend contracts with any supplier where verifiable evidence of labor or environmental negligence is found. 2. **Traceability Implementation:** Invest in blockchain or advanced tracking technology to create an immutable record of material sourcing and labor conditions for the next 12 months. 3. **Shared Accountability:** Implement a "Shared Responsibility Clause" in future contracts, making the supplier equally liable for certain ethical breaches discovered post-audit. --- ## 5. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Framework for Ethical Failures Ethical failures are rarely due to a single "bad employee"; they usually stem from systemic pressure points. | Potential Root Cause Category | Description | Diagnostic Question | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Incentive Structure Misalignment** | Rewards systems prioritize metrics (e.g., volume, speed, short-term revenue) that inherently conflict with ethical behavior (e.g., thoroughness, compliance). | Are employees actively penalized (via missed bonuses or poor reviews) for *doing the right thing* if it slows down production? | | **Leadership Modeling Deficit** | Senior management publicly espouses virtues but privately engages in or tolerates questionable shortcuts. | Can we find documented instances where senior leaders benefited directly from actions that violated the stated Code of Conduct? | | **Resource Starvation** | Necessary resources (staffing, technology, training budget) for ethical compliance (e.g., compliance officers, data security personnel) are consistently underfunded. | What percentage of the total operational budget is allocated specifically to *risk mitigation and ethical verification* versus revenue generation? | **Case Study Insight (RCA):** The collapse of Enron was fundamentally rooted in an **Incentive Structure Misalignment**. Executive compensation was heavily weighted toward immediate stock performance, creating an environment where creative and ultimately fraudulent accounting (violating honesty) was not just tolerated but actively rewarded until the entire structure became mathematically unsustainable. --- ## 6. Prevention Strategies (Building Ethical Resilience) Prevention focuses on embedding virtues into the operational DNA, making ethical behavior the path of least resistance. 1. **Virtue Mapping to KPIs:** Translate abstract virtues into measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). For **Fairness**, track the variance in compensation or performance review scores across demographics. For **Responsibility**, track the speed and thoroughness of incident resolution rather than just closure rate. 2. **"Red Team" Ethical Simulation:** Regularly engage external consultants or internal teams to actively try to "break" compliance systems or find loopholes in marketing claims. This proactive stress-testing prevents external discovery. 3. **Mandatory Ethical Scenario Training:** Move beyond simple compliance checklists. Use immersive, narrative-based training where employees must choose between two competing business goals, one requiring a moral compromise. --- ## 7. When to Escalate or Seek Help If the diagnostic steps reveal that the ethical failure is systemic, deeply embedded, or involves senior leadership, escalation is mandatory. * **Escalation Trigger 1: Failure of Accountability:** If the individual responsible for enforcing the ethical policy is implicated in the breach, or if the internal investigation stalls for more than 30 days without substantive findings. * **Escalation Trigger 2: Regulatory Exposure:** If internal review suggests potential violation of SEC, GDPR, FTC, or industry-specific regulations. * **Escalation Trigger 3: Cultural Entrenchment:** If internal surveys indicate that over 40% of employees believe that "cutting corners" is necessary to meet performance targets. **Action:** In these scenarios, immediate escalation to the **Board of Directors' Audit or Governance Committee** and engagement of **external, independent legal counsel specializing in corporate governance** is required to ensure objectivity and legal protection. Ignoring these triggers transforms a solvable operational issue into a systemic corporate crisis. | 0.75 | high | 7 | 1,977 | [
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f99ea425-ebce-4d42-8c54-8414477a6cc1 | |Semester 1 Credit Value:||20| | language_arts | historical_context | |Semester 1 Credit Value:||20|
|SEL1003||Introduction to Literary Studies 1|
|SEL1004||Introduction to Literary Studies II|
To study writing produced in Britain and the Atlantic world during the ‘long’ eighteenth century.
To develop students' ability to consider literary texts in their historical and cultural contexts; to analyse textual form and content in detail; and to communicate their critical responses to these texts in speech and writing.
Many genres and forms will be considered – fiction, drama, poetry, children’s literature, travel writing, life writing, and so on – and this material will be placed in its historical, cultural and social contexts. The overarching intellectual aim of the module will be to enable students to understand how encounters with new peoples, places and ideas were reflected in, mediated by, and sometimes actually created in, literature.
The primary mode of teaching on the module will two lectures and one seminar per week. The first, introductory, lectures will be delivered by the module teaching team in concert, as will review lectures at the midpoint and end of the module. Other lectures will usually be delivered by an individual member of the team. After the first weeks, lectures will focus on specific set texts, often with two lectures on each set text.
The texts set for the module may change from year to year, but they will usually include fiction, poetry, children’s literature, drama, travel writing and life writing, spanning the period from the 1680s to 1800.
It is intended that students should develop:
- an understanding of British cultural history during the long eighteenth century;
- an awareness of the ways in which encounters with new cultures, and social, political and intellectual change, can shape literary production, and vice versa;
- an awareness of the ways in which marginalised and suppressed groups sought to use literature as a means of enfranchisement;
- a knowledge of the contexts, contents and significance of the set texts.
It is intended that students should develop:
- an ability to offer critical readings of specific texts across a range of genres and forms;
- an ability to explore the relationship between text and historical, ideological, cultural and social contexts;
- an awareness of, and ability to use, appropriate critical language for discussing multifarious forms of literary production;
- the capacity to present conclusions coherently and convincingly, both verbally in class and in written form.
|Graduate Skills Framework Applicable:||Yes|
|Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities||Lecture||24||1:00||24:00||N/A|
|Guided Independent Study||Assessment preparation and completion||1||44:00||44:00||N/A|
|Guided Independent Study||Directed research and reading||1||73:00||73:00||N/A|
|Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities||Small group teaching||12||1:00||12:00||N/A|
|Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities||Workshops||1||2:00||2:00||N/A|
|Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities||Fieldwork||1||3:00||3:00||N/A|
|Guided Independent Study||Student-led group activity||12||1:00||12:00||N/A|
|Guided Independent Study||Independent study||1||30:00||30:00||N/A|
Lectures provide an overview of contextual and critical debates. Study groups and seminars offer the opportunity to link these to detailed engagement with the texts. Independent study is essential to equip students to engage with other learning methods. Workshops enhance students' understanding of specific texts, and the field trip offers the opportunity to link students' learning to real-world locations.
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
|Essay||1||M||40||1500 words. To be submitted approximately two-thirds of the way through the semester|
|Written exercise||1||A||60||48 hour take-away written paper of no more than 2500 words|
There will be two points of assessment:
1. A 1500-word essay, to be submitted mid-module. Worth 40%
2. A ‘take-home’ examination (max. 2500 words). Worth 60% of the overall module mark.
The first essay will give students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the set-texts, contexts and module themes. The final ‘take-home’ examination, based on set extracts, will both encourage students’ close reading skills and test their knowledge and understanding of the module as a whole.
Note: The Module Catalogue now reflects module information relating to academic year 16/17. Please contact your School Office if you require module information for a previous academic year.
Disclaimer: The University will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver modules in accordance with the descriptions set out in this catalogue. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, however, the University reserves the right to introduce changes to the information given including the addition, withdrawal or restructuring of modules if it considers such action to be necessary. | 0.65 | medium | 7 | 1,141 | [
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2ce507e3-2025-48af-925b-66d14b8c7184 | Bolckow, Henry William Ferdinand | social_studies | historical_context | Bolckow, Henry William Ferdinand
Henry Bolckow was born in the village of Sülten, near the city of Schwerin in North East Germany in 1806. His father was Heinrich Bölckow of Mecklenburg, a landowner. Barely 17, Henry was sent to the Baltic port city of Rostock to gain experience in international trade.
Through connections made in Rostock, Henry decided to emigrate to Newcastle in 1827 to join a Newcastle-based German Corn export business. He quickly made a fortune in the corn trade but, rather than celebrate his success or expand the business, Henry was interested in diversifying. Encouraged by the industrial knowledge of his friend, John Vaughan, and attracted by Joseph Pease and the opportunities of a rapidly growing Middlesbrough, Bolckow and his new partners established their first iron works in Middlesbrough in 1841, the same year Henry became an English citizen.
Bolckow and Vaugh’s partnership helped establish Middlesbrough as an industrial powerhouse. Their innovation was to control steel production from mineral extraction all the way to export. In 1878, the company employed over 15,000 men, owned thousands of acres of farmland, owned mines across Durham and Spain, and was one of the largest producers of steel in Europe.
Bolckow used his wealth principally for two main causes; to expand his business empire and to enhance the development of Middlesbrough as a place to live and work. Henry was both Middlesbrough’s first mayor (1853) and first MP (1867), sitting as a Liberal. At a time when parks were considered important to public health, Bolckow gifted £20,000 to create Albert Park, opened on the 11th August 1868. He also gifted £7,000 to construct St. Hilda’s school in Middlesbrough, which at the time provided education to over 900 children. It was the school designed by Gustavus Martens of Kiel and opened in 1869 by the Duke of Devonshire. The old school building was demolished in the 1960s and is now part of an Academy Trust operating 11 primary schools.
Boase, G.C. (2004). Bolckow, Henry William Ferdinand. Available here (Accessed: 28/06/2018).
Lomas, R. (2009). An encyclopaedia of North-East England, Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd, pp.54-55. | 0.7 | medium | 6 | 574 | [
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52a0b413-99ac-40f5-be77-6682a5b34758 | ```Julia manifold_theory Implementation Description | interdisciplinary | data_analysis | ```Julia # manifold_theory Implementation # Description: This code provides a basic implementation of manifold theory concepts, specifically focusing on the notion of tangent vectors and their relationship to coordinate charts. It simulates a simplified manifold structure and demonstrates how to compute tangent vectors at a point using coordinate charts. This is a simplified representation and doesn't cover all aspects of manifold theory. using LinearAlgebra """ manifold_theory(point, chart, coordinates) Computes the tangent vector at a given point on a manifold using a coordinate chart. # Arguments - `point`: A point on the manifold (represented as a vector). - `chart`: A function that maps coordinates to a point on the manifold. - `coordinates`: A vector of coordinates representing the point in the chart. # Returns The tangent vector at the given point. # Raises - `ArgumentError`: If the input arguments are invalid. """ function manifold_theory(point, chart, coordinates) # Input validation: Check if the point is a vector if !isa(point, Vector) throw(ArgumentError("The point must be a vector.")) end # Input validation: Check if coordinates is a vector if !isa(coordinates, Vector) throw(ArgumentError("The coordinates must be a vector.")) end # Input validation: Check if the length of coordinates matches the chart's dimension if length(coordinates) != length(chart(0)) # Assuming chart(0) returns the dimension throw(ArgumentError("The length of coordinates must match the dimension of the chart.")) end # Calculate the point on the manifold using the chart manifold_point = chart(coordinates) # Compute the tangent vector (simplified: just the difference between the point and the manifold point) tangent_vector = point - manifold_point return tangent_vector end # Example usage: # Define a simple 2D manifold (a line) function line_chart(x) return [x, 0] end # Test case 1 point1 = [1.0, 2.0] coordinates1 = [1.0] tangent_vector1 = manifold_theory(point1, line_chart, coordinates1) println("Test Case 1:") println("Point: ", point1) println("Coordinates: ", coordinates1) println("Tangent Vector: ", tangent_vector1) # Expected Output: Tangent Vector: [1.0, -2.0] # Test case 2 point2 = [3.0, 4.0] coordinates2 = [2.0] tangent_vector2 = manifold_theory(point2, line_chart, coordinates2) println("\nTest Case 2:") println("Point: ", point2) println("Coordinates: ", coordinates2) println("Tangent Vector: ", tangent_vector2) # Expected Output: Tangent Vector: [1.0, -4.0] # Test case 3 - Demonstrating error handling try point3 = [1.0, 2.0, 3.0] # Incorrect dimension coordinates3 = [1.0] tangent_vector3 = manifold_theory(point3, line_chart, coordinates3) catch e println("\nTest Case 3 (Error Handling):") println("Caught an error: ", e) end # Further Considerations/Possible Extensions: # - More complex manifolds (e.g., spheres, tori) would require more sophisticated chart definitions. # - Different tangent vector representations (e.g., using Jacobian matrices). # - Incorporate differential forms and exterior derivatives. # - Add a mechanism for handling multiple coordinate charts and their compatibility. ``` | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 761 | [
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8c98583b-4106-4749-b0c5-789f7083a68f | About photo Just color | interdisciplinary | tutorial | About Me
My photo
Just me and the color blue. The recipient of the "Top 10% badge" for the Inkitt Grand Novel Contest for my entry : The Christmas Duet.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The Breath of Sweet Christmas
FOR A SAVIOR IS BORN
The snowcapped mountains stood braving the wind
That brought about jingles in satin and pink
The reindeer rang jingles as they raced onwards in glee
For the breath of sweet Christmas faces dawn in the spree
Christmas time, Christmas morn
Holding the little babe in Her arms
A quiet solitude of wishes from the three kings did come
For the breath of sweet Christmas be on one and on all.
Joyful time, Christmas dine
Friends and family sight the Christmas star
that guides each and everyone for a Savior is born.
Sings songs of praise, walk in love
The Jingle- Jangle sounds reign loud and clear
Songs of Christmas lay among the herd.
The windows rattle amidst the steer
For there to bear witness to Thine name
A Savior is born.
“For the earth was divided once and today comes together with the risen Lord.”
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Post a Comment | 0.65 | low | 4 | 295 | [
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2d9f5737-0434-4c54-b216-fc507cbbdb96 | Anaphylaxis severe type hypersensitivity | technology | data_analysis | Anaphylaxis is a severe type I hypersensitivity reaction. Some of the causes of anaphylaxis are drugs, foods, exercise, medicines, etc. Antibodies too can produce anaphylaxis.
Archive for the 'Common Cold' Category
To treat a common cold, here are some effective and easy ways. Instead of processed foods, consume fresh fruits and vegetables. Drinking plenty of juices and water is imperative. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Get plenty of rest.
Sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion are the most common symptoms for a cold. This may be accompanied by fever. A cold normally lasts from 7 to 10 days. It is usually prevalent in winter.
Get quick relief by drinking a glass of hot water with lemon juice and honey. Another good cure for sore throat is slowly sipping a cup of boiling water with a little cayenne pepper. Gargling with warm salt water is also an effective remedy. Even a gargle of water boiled with basil leaves is good for sore throat.
To cure bad breath, chew parsley or mint leaves. Even thyme, rosemary and basil are effective for bad breath. Because of its antiseptic properties, the tea tree oil in toothpastes helps to stop bad breath. Gargling with a mixture of baking soda and water is a good remedy for bad breath.
A gargle with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water relieves you from bad breath. Green tea and baking soda are also a good cure. Eat fresh vegetables and low-fat cheese to keep away bad breath and also to fight plaque. To stop bad breath, chew spices such as cloves, cardamoms or fennel seeds.
Airborne cold remedy with its combination of herbs; amino acids; multivitamins; sodium and calcium carbonate is effective to fight colds. Even though it is more costly than other remedies, it is effective. Airborne cold remedy is extremely popular among top celebrities. It strengthens one against colds, particularly in crowded areas.
Some of the techniques used to reduce anxiety are physical and breathing exercises, yoga, meditation and tai chi. Kava, passionflower and valerian are herbs that are good for treating anxiety. Essential oils taken from plants like geranium, sandalwood, jasmine and lavender and added to massage oils or baths help to reduce anxiety effectively.
Drinking tea made from fenugreek seeds is a good natural remedy for bad breath. Juices of fruit and vegetables are beneficial in the treatment of bad breath. Another useful tip to stop bad breath is to chew the tender leaves of a guava tree. A gargle with boiled water mixed with parsley and 2 to 3 cloves is also an excellent cure for bad breath.
Taking a teaspoon of paste made with bitter gourd roots and honey at night, and warm milk with turmeric daily are very good remedies for treating colds. Lemon juice is also an effective remedy among others to combat colds. Boiling equal amounts of pure apple cider vinegar and water, and inhaling the vapor is a good cure for colds. | 0.6 | medium | 3 | 616 | [
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11966096-a53b-477e-a208-5acf5f588949 | Warning noisy classrooms poor | technology | historical_context | Warning that noisy classrooms with poor acoustics are hindering learning and harming teachers’ health, experts are urging Canada to adopt national sound standards for new schools and to improve listening environments for existing schools.
An average empty classroom’s background noise measures about 50 decibels (dB). It comes from sources such as outside traffic and schoolyard activities, hallways and neighbouring rooms, equipment like computers and projectors, and lighting, ventilation, and heating systems.
Add another approximately 10 dB from typical student activity, and the total background noise is 60 dB. That effectively covers up the teacher’s voice, since conversational speech is about 60 dB.
“Often in classrooms, with all the background noise, to be heard the teacher has to raise her voice and that results in voice problems,” said Maureen Clarke representing the Canadian Association of Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Grade one children need a speech-to-noise ratio of 15.5 dB to understand what the teacher is saying, Ms. Clarke explained. This means teachers must speak 15.5 dB louder than the background noise.
“We want to help children learn at their potential,” said Linda Walsh, president of the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. “When children don’t hear the teachers’ instructions in the first place, they’re not going to develop language skills and literacy skills according to how they should.”
Constantly striving to be heard leads to vocal fatigue, loss of voice, and other health problems in many of the teachers being treated by speech pathologists across Canada, Ms. Walsh said.
Ms. Walsh and Ms. Clarke are spokespersons for the Concerned About Classrooms Coalition, consisting of 18 national and provincial organizations working to enhance children’s learning environments and teachers’ vocal health.
The issue concerns not only children with hearing loss but also those with attentional and learning problems, or those learning in a second language. Even children with normal hearing are affected, said Ms. Walsh.
Research by John Bradley of the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network found that “in a typical grade 1 classroom, the average student will not understand one in six simple, familiar, and clearly spoken words. However “in quieter conditions they can understand almost all of these words.”
The 2005 research also reported that less than 10 percent of Canadian grade one classrooms had the ideal conditions for students to hear all of their teacher’s words.
If they can’t hear clearly, students may not comprehend what’s being taught, or may misinterpret instructions. In particular, young children do not have the language knowledge or life experience to “fill in the blanks” when they hear only part of a word or sentence, says the coalition.
Education is under provincial jurisdiction, but Canada currently has no provincial building standards regarding classroom acoustics.
The coalition wants the federal government to develop national classroom construction standards so that new schools will be built with concern for sound and hearing. It’s also asking existing schools to assess their classrooms and make changes to improve the listening environment.
“We’re looking for the federal government to encourage the provincial governments to take action on this,” said Ms. Walsh.
The coalition is recommending that Canada adopt a U.S. standard approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
Developed by the Acoustical Society of America and the U.S. Access Board, the ANSI standard specifies a maximum background noise of 35 to 40 dB and a maximum reverberation time of 0.6 to 0.7 seconds for typical-size empty classrooms.
Reverberation time is how long it takes for sound to die away as it’s absorbed by interactions with surfaces in the room.
For general-purpose auditoriums used for both speech and music, reverberation times of 1.5 to 2.5 seconds allow a richer, fuller musical sound. But classrooms need much shorter times to ensure clarity of speech.
Sound field amplification is one possible solution for improving acoustics in existing classrooms. The teacher wears a microphone and speakers project the teacher’s voice around the classroom.
Ms. Walsh noted a 2007 New Brunswick study with kindergarten through grade 3 children which found that students in classrooms with amplification did much better on comprehension tests compared to those in classrooms without amplification.
Other solutions include using hypo-allergenic carpeting, hanging up curtains and cork boards, adding felt pads under chair and table legs, installing acoustic tiles, and putting up barriers to help absorb sound.
Last Friday the coalition held a press conference on Parliament Hill to urge federal action. Over the coming weeks it will continue the lobbying with provincial governments.
“We want children to have every advantage that they would need in order to be successful,” said Ms. Clarke. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 1,005 | [
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3b15ffcc-cffe-4c4f-aa28-34cc9950b7e6 | **Definition**: Biomimetic engineering discipline | interdisciplinary | research_summary | **Definition**: Biomimetic engineering is the discipline of applying biological principles, structures, and systems to solve engineering challenges. **Intuitive Explanation**: Imagine nature as a vast R&D lab, millions of years in the making. Biomimetic engineering is like looking at nature's successful designs – how a bird flies, how a gecko climbs, how a lotus leaf repels water – and then reverse-engineering those strategies to create new technologies and improve existing ones. It's not just copying; it's understanding the underlying "why" and "how" of biological solutions and translating that knowledge into functional engineering. **Purpose**: The fundamental purpose of biomimetic engineering is to leverage nature's proven efficiency, sustainability, and resilience to create innovative and effective solutions for human problems. Nature has already solved many complex challenges related to energy, materials, structures, and systems through evolutionary processes. By studying and emulating these biological solutions, engineers can develop products and processes that are often more efficient, less wasteful, and better adapted to their environments than traditionally designed ones. **Mechanism**: Biomimetic engineering operates through a process of observation, abstraction, and application. 1. **Observation**: Scientists and engineers meticulously study biological organisms and ecosystems to identify advantageous traits, structures, or processes. 2. **Abstraction**: The core principles and functional mechanisms behind these biological features are extracted, separating them from their specific biological context. For instance, understanding *how* a gecko's feet adhere, not just that they do. 3. **Application**: These abstracted principles are then translated into engineering designs, materials, or systems using non-biological means. **Examples**: * **Example 1**: **Velcro**. * **Observation**: Swiss engineer George de Mestral observed burrs sticking to his dog's fur and his own clothing after a walk. * **Abstraction**: Under a microscope, he saw that the burrs had tiny hooks that interlocked with the loops in the fabric and fur. * **Application**: This led to the invention of Velcro, a fastening system with two components: one with stiff hooks and the other with soft loops, mimicking the natural mechanism for reversible adhesion. * **Example 2**: **Self-cleaning surfaces (Lotus Effect)**. * **Observation**: The lotus leaf remains clean even in muddy environments. * **Abstraction**: Microscopic analysis reveals the leaf surface has a hierarchical structure: a waxy coating composed of tiny bumps, which are themselves covered in even smaller structures. This creates superhydrophobicity (extreme water repellency) and a low surface area for dirt to adhere to. Water droplets roll off, carrying dirt particles with them. * **Application**: Engineers have replicated this surface texture using various materials and manufacturing techniques to create self-cleaning paints, coatings for glass, and textiles. **Common Misconceptions**: * **Misconception**: Biomimicry is simply copying nature's appearance. * **Clarification**: True biomimicry focuses on emulating functional principles and underlying mechanisms, not just superficial resemblance. A bird-shaped airplane is not biomimicry unless it replicates the *aerodynamic principles* of bird flight. * **Misconception**: Biomimicry is only about biology and has no place in advanced engineering. * **Clarification**: Biomimicry is a powerful *approach* to engineering design that integrates deeply with advanced fields like materials science, robotics, and computational design. **Connections**: * **Prerequisites**: * **Applied Fields of Biology**: Understanding biological structures, functions, and evolutionary strategies (e.g., morphology, physiology, ecology) is foundational. * **Engineering Design**: The ability to translate scientific principles into practical, functional solutions is essential. * **Builds To**: * **Bio-Inspired Materials**: Develops novel materials with properties derived from biological structures (e.g., strength, self-healing, adhesion). * **Biomimetic Robotics**: Creates robots that mimic the form, movement, and sensing capabilities of living organisms (e.g., robotic limbs, insect-like drones). | 0.6 | high | 5 | 848 | [
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1ddd6b8b-c041-4d9a-932b-1d4ef0663dca | they swarm again, there | interdisciplinary | worked_examples | If they swarm again, there will be no bees left in that original hive. While we were well-prepared for the previous swarms, this one was completely unexpected.
Before bees swarm, they gorge a lot of the honey to hold over their appetite while seeking a new home. The hive that all of the swarms came from is now practically empty. The supers can be knocked over by poking it with your index finger.
In comparison to our previous swarms, this one was a lot smaller. So what is their deal? Why are they doing this? Over the last month, our weather has been all over the place. On days where it was too cold, rainy, or windy, the bees stayed inside their hive. They had nothing better to do than eat and make babies. The hive became quickly overpopulated, so they had to leave. Their mind was made up, and they began the process of creating new queens. The “old” queen went on a diet (so that she could fly again), the workers gorged themselves, and planned to leave as soon as they could.
When a new queen emerges, she is supposed to kill the other queen cells. Well, she didn’t do that, hence the surprise swarm.
This one was a very easy capture. A couple tiny branches needed to be trimmed, and the bees went right into this nuc box.
These girls are hopefully going to a new home with another beekeeper.
Interesting fact: After all of this, we smooshed most of the queen cells that remained in the original hive. Girl, bye. | 0.6 | low | 3 | 330 | [
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7ed74575-087a-4d16-b7e0-20886685ba15 | Mexico home number plants | mathematics | historical_context | Mexico is home to a number of plants and trees that grow in the country's varying soils and climate system. Mexico includes beaches, jungles, mountains and deserts. The native plants in each have adapted to their surroundings in remarkable ways. Many of Mexico's native plants, including poinsettias, avocados and cacao, are now familiar around the globe.
Although it's called Texas redbud, Cercis canadensis graces the limestone slopes of northeastern Mexico with its early spring bloom. A smaller, drought-resistant version of the Eastern redbuds common in the United States, Texas redbud produces branches lined with clusters of purple blossoms in March and April. Flowers appear just as the trees are leafing out.
The 10-to-20 foot trees have large, heart-shaped, glossy green leaves. Flat 4-inch red seedpods follow the flowers, remaining on the trees into winter. Autumn foliage is yellow or red. This tree provides summer shade, nectar for butterflies and seeds for birds. Plant it in sun to dappled shade and limestone-based sand, loam or clay soil.
Plant the trees in sun to dappled shade and dry, limestone-stone based sand, loam or clay soil. They are both heat and cold tolerant. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, young trees benefit from sun protection.
Mexican Evening Primrose
Mexican evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) is a perennial that's native to northeastern Mexico. Growing up to 18 inches high, it colonizes readily. While its name suggests otherwise, in northeastern Mexico, this plant's flowers open in the morning and close at dusk.
This primrose has four-petaled, white or pink, cup-shaped blooms veined with red. Color becomes lighter the further north it grows. Flower are smaller in drought conditions. Blooming season begins in March. In Mexico it lasts as long as temperatures remain above freezing. Green leaves may become red in the fall.
Mexican evening primrose won't bloom without full sun. Growing in any soil, it may go dormant in extended drought and re-sprout after rain. This plant is effective as a blooming ground cover for hot, open areas where few other plants are happy.
Autumn sage (Salvia greggii) grows as far south as San Luis Potosi in central Mexico. This mint-scented perennial shrub stands between 2 and 3 feet high. It's evergreen in the Mexican climate. Between spring and frost, its branches bear showy spikes of white, pink, red, orange or purple flowers. Blooming autumn sage is a hummingbird magnet. Planted in groups, these shrubs can be trimmed into striking low hedges. They are remarkably disease, pest and drought-resistant, and need no fertilizer once established.
If you want a low-maintenance, high-performance Mexican native plant, this is it. Plant autumn sage in full sun and well-drained, dry, limestone-rich rocky soil. It also tolerates sand and loam. If your soil is clay, improve it with organic material and plant the shrubs on a slope to ensure adequate drainage. Autumn sage's flowers and leaves are edible. Fresh or dried leaves make tasty tea. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 676 | [
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ebf259b6-d753-45f5-a9e3-df5334dd9d5a | English playwright poet late | technology | worked_examples | An English playwright and poet of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, generally considered the greatest writer in English. His plays include Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, and Twelfth Night. Shakespeare also wrote more than 150 sonnets. Many familiar sayings and quotations come from his works.
Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon. He spent most of his career in London as an actor, playwright, and manager of the Globe Theater. His success enabled him to retire to Stratford, where he died.
Learn more about Shakespeare, William | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 159 | [
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814fd176-56c8-4eca-baef-bda499ceb6b2 | Today’s computers unimaginably complex | technology | problem_set | Today’s computers are unimaginably complex, and so complicated it’s nearly impossible for anyone to comprehend everything a CPU can do in excruciating detail. It wasn’t always like this – the early CPUs of the 70s and 80s were relatively simple and can easily be recreated at the individual gate level. CPUs can be even simpler, as [Jack Eisenmann] demonstrates with a single instruction computer, the DUO Compact 2, made entirely out of 74-series logic chips and a bunch of memory.
[Jack] has a long history of building strange computers out of individual chips, including a TTL logic CPU and a significantly more complicated single instruction computer. The latest, though, is as simple as it gets. It’s just twenty chips, capable of calculating prime numbers, sorting strings, and everything else a computer is able to do.
With every one-instruction computer, there is the obvious question of what instruction this computer uses. For the DUO Compact 2 it’s a single instruction that accepts three arguments, A, B, and C. The instruction copies a byte from A to B, then jumps to the instruction at C. Is it even possible for a computer to add two numbers with this instruction? Yes, if you have massive look up tables stored in 2 Megabytes of Flash and 512 kB of RAM.
In the video below, [Jack] goes over how his tiny computer works and demonstrates prime number generation (it’s slow), string sorting (also slow), and displaying ’99 bottles of beer on the wall’ on the computer’s LCD. All the files to replicate this computer are available on [Jack]’s webpage, along with an emulator in case you don’t want to break out a breadboard for this one. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 382 | [
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8f4c0a5d-1211-4bda-95ef-bcee5e3bf217 | Bridging Type Systems Category | interdisciplinary | research_summary | ## Bridging Type Systems and Category Theory: A Structural Equivalence Approach This document outlines a systematic approach to understanding the profound, yet often obscured, connections between Type Systems in programming languages and Category Theory in mathematics. By identifying a shared fundamental pattern – structural equivalence – we can build a conceptual bridge that illuminates both domains and reveals deeper insights into the nature of information and computation. --- ### **Shared Pattern**: Structural Equivalence and Compositionality The core principle uniting Type Systems and Category Theory is **structural equivalence** and its inherent **compositionality**. * **Type Systems (Programming Systems):** Type systems are formal frameworks that assign types to program expressions. These types represent properties and constraints on the data that an expression can produce. The fundamental pattern here is how these types are defined, manipulated, and composed. A type system enforces that operations are applied to data of compatible types, ensuring program correctness and predictability. This compatibility is often defined through structural rules: if two types have the same structure, they are considered equivalent for certain operations. Compositionality in type systems means that the type of a composite expression (e.g., a function application) can be determined from the types of its constituent parts and the rules governing their combination. * **Category Theory (Mathematics):** Category theory provides a high-level abstract framework for studying mathematical structures and their relationships. A category consists of objects and morphisms (arrows) between them. The fundamental pattern is the abstract representation of structure and the rules for composing these structures. Morphisms can be composed if their "domains" and "codomains" align, reflecting a form of structural compatibility. Compositionality is paramount; the composition of morphisms is associative, and identity morphisms exist, mirroring how operations combine in a structured way. Structural equivalence in category theory often refers to isomorphism, where two objects are considered the same from a categorical perspective if there exist morphisms between them that behave like inverses. The shared pattern is the focus on **abstract structures and the rules governing their composition and equivalence**, regardless of their internal "stuff." Both systems define entities (types or objects) and relationships (type checking rules or morphisms) that can be systematically combined and analyzed based on their structural properties. --- ### **The Surprising Connection**: Types as Objects, Functions as Morphisms The surprising and insightful connection lies in recognizing that **types can be viewed as objects in a category, and functions (or operations) between them can be viewed as morphisms.** This perspective is not immediately obvious because programming language type systems are often designed with practical implementation concerns in mind, while category theory is a highly abstract mathematical discipline. * **Why it's not obvious:** * **Abstraction Level:** Type systems deal with concrete language constructs, while category theory operates at a much higher level of abstraction, often stripping away internal details. * **Purpose:** Type systems are primarily for static analysis and error prevention in software development. Category theory is a tool for unifying mathematical concepts and proving general theorems. * **Notation:** The notations are vastly different. Type system notation (e.g., `int -> string`) is imperative and descriptive, while category theory notation (e.g., `f: A -> B`) is declarative and relational. * **Why it's crucial:** * **Unification:** This connection reveals that the principles governing type safety and program composition are deeply rooted in fundamental mathematical structures. * **Deeper Understanding of Type Theory:** Category theory provides a powerful meta-language to reason about type systems. Concepts like products, coproducts, exponentials, and limits/colimits in category theory have direct and profound counterparts in type systems. * **Formalizing Program Semantics:** It offers a rigorous mathematical foundation for understanding the semantics of programming languages and the behavior of programs. --- ### **Illustrative Example**: Product Types and Cartesian Products Let's consider the concept of **product types** in programming languages and their correspondence to **Cartesian products** in category theory. **Problem:** How do we represent and combine data structures that hold multiple values of different types, and how can we ensure type safety when accessing these combined values? **Type System Approach (e.g., in a language like OCaml or Haskell):** 1. **Defining a Product Type:** We can define a "pair" type that holds an integer and a string. * Let `Int` be the type for integers. * Let `String` be the type for strings. * We define a product type `Pair<Int, String>` (or `(Int, String)` in Haskell syntax) which represents a structure containing one value of type `Int` and one value of type `String`. 2. **Creating Values:** * `myPair = (42, "hello")` 3. **Accessing Values (Projection Functions):** To access the components, we use "projection" functions. * `fst(myPair)` would return the `Int` component (42). The type of `fst` applied to a `Pair<Int, String>` is `Int`. * `snd(myPair)` would return the `String` component ("hello"). The type of `snd` applied to a `Pair<Int, String>` is `String`. 4. **Type Safety:** The type system ensures that `fst` can only be applied to types that are products with a first component, and `snd` to types that are products with a second component. Attempting `fst("hello")` would result in a type error. **Category Theory Approach:** 1. **Category of Sets (Set):** Consider the category of sets, where objects are sets and morphisms are functions between sets. * Let `A` be the set of integers (e.g., `ℤ`). * Let `B` be the set of strings (e.g., `Strings`). 2. **Cartesian Product Object:** The Cartesian product `A × B` is an object in `Set`. It is the set of all ordered pairs `(a, b)` where `a ∈ A` and `b ∈ B`. * `ℤ × Strings` is the set of all pairs like `(42, "hello")`. 3. **Projection Morphisms:** There are two canonical projection morphisms (functions) from the product object `A × B` to its constituent objects `A` and `B`. * `π₁: A × B → A` defined by `π₁(a, b) = a`. * `π₂: A × B → B` defined by `π₂(a, b) = b`. 4. **Universal Property of Cartesian Product:** The Cartesian product `A × B` is characterized by a universal property. For any object `C` and any pair of morphisms `f: C → A` and `g: C → B`, there exists a *unique* morphism `h: C → A × B` such that `π₁ ∘ h = f` and `π₂ ∘ h = g`. This `h` is often called the "pairing" or "tuple" morphism. **Working in Tandem:** * The type `Pair<Int, String>` in the type system is the **object** corresponding to the Cartesian product `Int × String` in the category of sets. * The projection functions `fst` and `snd` in the type system are the **projection morphisms** `π₁` and `π₂` in category theory. * The act of creating `myPair = (42, "hello")` in the type system corresponds to constructing an **element** of the Cartesian product set. * If we have a function in our type system that takes a pair and produces a new value, say `processPair: Pair<Int, String> -> Result`, this function can be seen as a morphism from `Pair<Int, String>` to `Result`. If we want to define this `processPair` function based on functions operating on `Int` and `String` individually, we are essentially invoking the universal property of the Cartesian product. For instance, if we have `f: Int -> Result` and `g: String -> Result`, we can define `processPair(p) = f(fst(p))`. In category theory terms, this is related to the existence of a unique mediating morphism. This example demonstrates how the structural definition of a product type and its operations in a type system directly mirrors the universal property of Cartesian products in category theory. --- ### **Reciprocal Learning**: A Symbiotic Relationship Mastering one concept significantly facilitates understanding the other. * **From Type Systems to Category Theory:** * **Pattern Recognition:** Experience with type systems (e.g., understanding how different types compose, how to define generic functions, the concept of subtyping) primes you to recognize similar patterns in category theory. The idea of "types as objects" and "functions as morphisms" becomes intuitive. * **Compositionality:** The focus on building complex programs from smaller, well-typed components directly translates to understanding composition of morphisms. * **Structural Equivalence:** The implicit structural equivalence in type checking (e.g., structural subtyping or nominal typing) provides a concrete analogy for categorical notions of equivalence and isomorphism. * **From Category Theory to Type Systems:** * **Formalism and Rigor:** Category theory provides a precise mathematical language to express and prove properties of type systems. Concepts like products, coproducts, exponentials (function types), and initial/terminal objects have direct, powerful interpretations in type theory. * **Generalization:** Category theory helps generalize type system concepts. For example, understanding the universal property of the Cartesian product allows one to understand *why* product types work the way they do, and how they can be generalized to other contexts. * **New Insights:** Applying categorical thinking can lead to the design of new, more expressive, and robust type systems. Dependent types, for instance, can be fruitfully studied through the lens of category theory (e.g., via fibered categories). --- ### **Mathematical Foundation**: Functors and Natural Transformations The mathematical relationships underpinning this connection are primarily **functors** and **natural transformations**. * **Functors:** A functor is a mapping between categories that preserves the structure of objects and morphisms. * **Example:** Consider a type system that supports parametric polymorphism (generics). A function like `map` (or `fmap`) in functional programming allows you to apply a function to every element of a structure (like a list or an option). * Type signature for `map` on lists: `map : (A -> B) -> List A -> List B` * In categorical terms, `List` can be seen as a **functor** from the category of types (`Type`) to itself. For any function `f: A -> B`, the functor `List` maps it to a function `List f: List A -> List B` (which is essentially `map f`). * This means that programming language constructs that operate uniformly across different types (like `map`, `fold`, `zip`) are often instances of functors. * **Natural Transformations:** A natural transformation is a way to map between two functors that preserves the structure of the mappings. * **Example:** Consider two different ways of representing optional values: `Option A` (e.g., `Some x` or `None`) and `Maybe A` (similar concept). If both `Option` and `Maybe` are functors, a natural transformation between them would be a function that converts an `Option A` to a `Maybe A` in a way that is consistent with how functions are mapped by the functors. * In type systems, natural transformations relate different type constructors or different implementations of the same abstract concept. They ensure that transformations between related types are "well-behaved" with respect to the operations defined on those types. The relationship between type systems and category theory is often formalized by showing that certain aspects of programming languages (like type constructors, function definitions) can be modeled as functors and natural transformations between categories of types and programs. --- ### **Universal Application and Implications**: Structuring Information and Processes The pattern of structural equivalence and compositionality, as exemplified by the bridge between type systems and category theory, is not confined to these two domains. It is a fundamental principle for organizing and manipulating information and processes across various fields. * **Nature:** * **Molecular Biology:** DNA sequences are structured information. Genes are like types, and biological processes (like protein synthesis) are like functions that operate on these "types." The way DNA is transcribed and translated involves compositional steps and structural rules. * **Ecosystems:** An ecosystem can be viewed as a category where species are objects, and ecological interactions (predation, symbiosis) are morphisms. The health and behavior of the ecosystem depend on the compositionality of these interactions and the stable structures (niches, food webs) that emerge. * **Science:** * **Physics:** Fundamental particles can be seen as objects, and interactions (forces) as morphisms. Theories like Quantum Field Theory use sophisticated mathematical structures (often rooted in category theory) to describe how these interactions compose. Symmetry principles in physics are often related to structural equivalences. * **Information Theory:** Data structures and algorithms can be formally described using categorical methods, providing a unified framework for understanding information processing. * **Everyday Life:** * **Language:** Sentences are constructed compositionally from words, following grammatical "types" and rules. The meaning of a sentence is derived from the meaning of its parts and how they are structurally combined. * **Recipes:** A recipe is a sequence of operations (morphisms) on ingredients (objects/types). The order and compatibility of steps are crucial for the final outcome. * **Organizational Structures:** Companies and institutions have hierarchical structures with defined roles and responsibilities (objects) and communication/reporting lines (morphisms). The effectiveness of the organization depends on the compositionality of these roles and clear structural rules. **Broader Implications:** Understanding this cross-domain pattern fosters a more holistic and abstract way of thinking. It suggests that many complex systems, whether in software, mathematics, or the natural world, can be analyzed and understood by focusing on their underlying structural properties and the rules governing their composition. This perspective can lead to: * **More Robust Systems:** By applying principles from category theory, we can design more resilient and predictable type systems and software architectures. * **Deeper Scientific Understanding:** Identifying these patterns can unify disparate scientific fields, revealing common underlying principles. * **Enhanced Problem-Solving:** A systematic approach that looks for structural equivalence and compositionality can be applied to a wide range of problems, enabling more creative and effective solutions. By bridging type systems and category theory, we gain not just a deeper appreciation for each field, but a fundamental insight into how structure, composition, and equivalence are universal principles that govern the organization of knowledge and the operation of systems. | 0.7 | medium | 7 | 3,122 | [
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2ad32281-edfd-4496-8d2c-0df73c39785c | Home Internet Things Aerospace | interdisciplinary | historical_context | Home Internet of Things Aerospace Apparel Energy Defense Health Care Logistics Manufacturing Retail
Waste Not
RFID can help your business eliminate the waste problem rampant throughout many industries.
By Mark Roberti
Apr 15, 2013
Simply put, waste is a waste. Companies hate it. Governments struggle to reduce it. Even individuals try to minimize it. Yet, the amount of waste in the world is staggering. Consider these facts:
• 50 percent of all food produced globally is never consumed
• Administrative errors cost U.S. retailers $4.9 billion annually
• Hospitals lose an average of $5,000 per bed per year
• Nearly 30 million pieces of luggage are mishandled each year, costing airlines an estimated $2.9 billion
• Roughly 8 percent to 10 percent of reusable transport items are replaced each year.
I could go on, but you get the picture. Waste is rampant. The reason, according to Carlo Nizam, Airbus' head of value chain visibility and auto-ID, is that companies have "little data or limited visibility of how their processes are performing, so they don't necessarily know where the waste is." And if you don't know where the waste is, it is hard to get rid of it.
In this issue's cover story, Eliminating Waste, we look at how companies in different industries are using radio frequency identification to pinpoint and reduce waste of all kinds. Airbus, for instance, introduced an RFID-based tool-management application, so workers don't have to wait to check tools in or out of a tool crib. Memove, a retailer in Brazil, deployed an RFID solution to improve shipment verification, which means employees no longer have to count and recount inventory to ensure the proper items are sent from its distribution centers to stores.
The oil and gas industry has begun to tackle waste, thanks to recent technology advances that make it possible to read RFID tags on metal and in harsh environments. In this issue's Vertical Focus, we explore how companies are using RFID to track equipment and improve asset-utilization rates. This is particularly important in remote regions, where logistics is a challenge and missing parts can result in downtime that can cost millions of dollars.
There is also plenty of waste in commercial laundry operations, which is why companies have been RFID-tagging and tracking uniforms and linens for more than 15 years. Here, too, the industry is benefiting from technology advances, which have led to lower prices and improved performance. As a result, casinos, fitness clubs, hospitals, hotels, theme parks and other organizations have begun using RFID to track laundry items, to improve asset visibility and reduce the number of stolen towels (see Product Developments).
In fact, RFID products and services in general have evolved rapidly to address waste of all kinds, and many of these solutions will be on display at RFID Journal LIVE! 2013, our annual conference and exhibition, which will be held in Orlando, Fla., from Apr. 30 to May 2. In addition, attendees will hear firsthand how Bloomingdale's, Celebration Health, Speedy Services and other organizations are doing away with waste. I encourage you to join us there and find out how RFID can help your business eliminate waste.
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below. To read more of Mark's opinions, visit the RFID Journal Blog, the Editor's Note archive or RFID Connect.
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RFID Journal LIVE! RFID in Health Care LIVE! LatAm LIVE! Brasil LIVE! Europe RFID Connect Virtual Events RFID Journal Awards Webinars Presentations | 0.7 | medium | 4 | 890 | [
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929013b3-09a5-4c94-8e76-717e42f43c5b | The advent of GPGPU | technology | historical_context | The advent of GPGPU
The idea of using graphics accelerators for mathematical calculation is not recent. The first traces of it go back to the 1990s. Initially it was very primitive – limited mostly to the use of certain hard-wired functions like rasterization and Z-buffers to accelerate tasks like pathfinding or drawing Voronoi diagrams.
In 2003, with the appearance of highly evolved shaders, a new stage was reached – this time performing matrix calculations using the hardware then available. That was the year when an entire section of the SIGGRAPH (“Computations on GPUs”) was dedicated to this new IT fringe area. This early initiative was to take on the name GPGPU (for General-Purpose computation on GPUs). One early turning point in this area was the appearance of BrookGPU.
To really understand the role of Brook, you need to see how things were done before it made its appearance. The only way to get access to the GPU’s resources in 2003 was to use one of the two graphics APIs – Direct3D or OpenGL. Consequently, researchers who wanted to harness the GPU’s processing power had to work with these APIs. The problem was that those individuals weren’t necessarily experts in graphics programming, which seriously complicated access to the technology. Where 3D programmers talk in terms of shaders, textures and fragments; specialists in parallel programming talk about streams, kernels, scatter, and gather. So, the first difficulty was to find analogies between two distinct worlds:
- a stream – that is, a flow of elements of the same type – can be represented on the GPU by a texture. To give you an idea of this, consider that the equivalent in classic programming languages is simply an array.
- a kernel – the function that will be applied independently to each element of the stream – is the equivalent of a pixel shader. Conceptually, it can be seen as an internal loop in a classic program – the one that will be applied to the largest number of elements.
- to read the results of the application of a kernel to a stream, it has to be rendered in a texture. Obviously there’s no equivalent on a CPU, which has total access to the memory.
- to control the location where a memory write is to take place (in a scatter operation), it has to be done in a vertex shader, since a pixel shader can’t modify the coordinates of the pixel currently being processed. | 0.7 | medium | 4 | 513 | [
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86b2e2f0-2791-4a14-9012-2590dd39f337 | Silicon Spark "Aether Dynamics" | interdisciplinary | data_analysis | ## The Silicon Spark of "Aether Dynamics" **Setting the Scene:** The air in the "Innovate Hub" of Neo-Kyoto hummed with the low thrum of high-powered servers. It was late October, and the deadline for the crucial "Horizon Initiative" proposal loomed like a storm cloud over the small startup, Aether Dynamics. **Characters:** * **Dr. Elara Vance:** The lead engineer, brilliant but prone to focusing only on theoretical perfection. * **Mr. Kenji Sato:** The pragmatic CEO, focused intensely on market viability and supply chain realities. **The Conflict: The Bottleneck of Precision** Aether Dynamics was developing a revolutionary, low-latency trading algorithm designed to execute complex derivatives faster than any existing system. Their core innovation lay in minimizing the time spent processing data—the latency. Elara stood before a holographic projection displaying their prototype hardware architecture. "Kenji, the simulation results are stunning. We’ve achieved microsecond response times. But the board is pushing back on the component selection for the final unit." Kenji leaned over the table, his reflection shimmering on the polished surface. "Elara, we can't afford to use the custom-fabricated Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors you specified for the initial market rollout. They cost three times as much as standard Silicon MOSFETs, and the lead time for volume orders is six months. We need to ship working units *next quarter*." "But Kenji," Elara protested, gesturing emphatically at the projection, "the GaN devices offer superior switching speeds and handle higher power density! In high-frequency trading, every nanosecond lost is market share ceded. We are building a race car; you want to equip it with bicycle tires!" **The Educational Weave: Understanding Semiconductor Trade-offs** Kenji sighed, pulling up a comparative chart on his tablet. "I understand the physics, Elara. GaN is superb—it has a wider bandgap than silicon, meaning it can operate at higher voltages and temperatures with less energy loss during switching. That’s why it’s dominating high-efficiency applications like EV chargers and 5G base stations, as seen with companies like **Navitas Semiconductor**." He tapped the screen, bringing up a diagram of a standard Silicon MOSFET structure. "However, our *initial* market application—the low-latency processor for mid-tier institutional clients—doesn't demand that extreme power handling yet. We need reliability and *cost-effective scalability* immediately. Silicon, despite its lower theoretical switching speed compared to wide-bandgap materials like SiC or GaN, is the workhorse of the industry for a reason. **CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) technology built on silicon substrates is mature, incredibly dense, and its production scaling—driven by giants like TSMC—means the unit cost is negligible compared to novel materials.**" Elara paced, acknowledging the reality. "So, you’re suggesting we compromise performance for immediate business viability?" "I’m suggesting we apply the right **semiconductor device for the right applied field**," Kenji corrected gently. "We use the highly reliable, cost-effective Silicon CMOS for the initial 'Alpha' release. This lets us secure early revenue and prove the algorithm’s market edge. Then, for the 'Omega' version six months later, once we have proven profitability and secured more funding, we integrate the GaN components to achieve that ultimate speed you designed for." **The Case Study in Miniature: Bridging the Gap** Kenji brought up a recent industry example. "Look at the evolution of **Data Center Power Supplies**. Early designs relied heavily on standard silicon IGBTs. But as power demands soared, companies like **Vicor** began aggressively integrating GaN transistors into their power modules. Why? Because in that specific application—high-density power conversion—the superior efficiency and smaller footprint of GaN directly translated to lower cooling costs and higher rack density, justifying the higher component price immediately. Our trading application isn't there *yet*." Elara looked back at the projection. The silicon architecture was slower on paper, but it was proven, available, and crucially, *buildable* within the timeline. "If we chose the GaN now," Elara mused, "our entire production line would be bottlenecked waiting for specialized fabrication runs, risking a complete failure to launch. The business risk outweighs the marginal performance gain for the initial customer base." **Resolution: Strategic Implementation** Elara nodded slowly. "Alright, Kenji. We pivot the Alpha specification to the high-density Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) MOSFET array. It’s a good middle ground—better thermal performance than bulk silicon, but still within the established supply chain." "Exactly," Kenji smiled, tapping the finalized Bill of Materials. "We use the established, robust **semiconductor devices**—the silicon backbone—to get the product into the customer's hands and generate revenue. That revenue then funds the specialized research and the procurement of the next-generation **wide-bandgap semiconductors** needed for the true technological leap. It’s not about choosing the *best* device; it’s about choosing the *strategically appropriate* device for the current phase of market entry." Within three months, Aether Dynamics launched its Alpha platform using the silicon architecture. It was fast enough to win key early adopters. By the time the next funding round closed, they had the capital and the proven demand to start integrating the expensive, lightning-fast GaN components into their next iteration, ensuring that the spark of innovation wasn't extinguished by supply chain realities. They had learned that in the applied business field, the most powerful technology is often the one you can actually deploy. | 0.7 | high | 4 | 1,220 | [
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6c0c88c7-64eb-4734-a196-28301aded2cb | tutorial synthesizes key insights | science | tutorial | This tutorial synthesizes key insights from the top-read blog posts of 2014, focusing on actionable strategies for leveraging Voice of the Customer (VoC), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and customer service excellence. --- ## Tutorial: Actionable Strategies for Improving Customer Experience Using VoC and NPS **Overview**: This tutorial transforms key insights from top 2014 analytics blogs into a structured, actionable plan for improving customer experience, reducing churn, and fostering employee engagement using Voice of the Customer (VoC) and Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodologies. **Prerequisites**: * A basic understanding of customer feedback mechanisms. * Access to communication channels (email, social media) for your business. * Commitment to organizational change based on feedback. --- ### Phase 1: Gathering and Utilizing Voice of the Customer (VoC) Data **Step 1: Proactively Solicit Customer Feedback (VoC)** * **Action**: Implement a proactive Voice of the Customer (VoC) program to understand current customer perceptions of your products and services. * **Instruction**: Ask customers direct questions regarding their satisfaction, perceived value, and likelihood of future engagement (e.g., repurchase, contract renewal). * **Example**: For B2C, this might involve transactional surveys after a purchase. For B2B, survey distributors or partners about product differentiation. * **Checkpoint**: Verify that you have established at least one mechanism (survey, direct interview, feedback form) to consistently ask customers what is and is not working for them. **Step 2: Implement a Focused Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey** * **Action**: Adopt a quick and easy-to-administer NPS survey to gauge customer sentiment efficiently. * **Instruction**: Use a three-question Net Promoter survey structure: 1. On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend [Company/Product] to a friend or colleague? 2. Why did you give us that score? (Qualitative follow-up) 3. What would it take to earn a 10? (Actionable improvement question) * **Practical Guidance**: Surveying heavy users or key segments (like cell phone customers in the example) allows you to learn specific needs, such as rewarding loyalty with desired benefits (e.g., latest technology). * **Common Pitfall**: Do not use NPS results solely to punish employees; this is short-sighted and counterproductive. Happy, engaged employees lead to happy, engaged customers. **Step 3: Integrate Quantitative and Qualitative Insights** * **Action**: Supplement numerical VoC data (Quantitative) with rich narrative feedback (Qualitative). * **Instruction**: Analyze the "Why" behind the scores. Quantitative data shows *what* customers are doing or thinking; Qualitative data explains *why* they are doing it and *how* you can improve. * **Example**: If quantitative data shows a drop in satisfaction (score), use the open-ended responses ("Why did you give us that score?") to pinpoint the exact failing process or feature. * **Checkpoint**: Ensure your analysis process includes dedicated time for reading and categorizing the narrative feedback, not just calculating the final score. --- ### Phase 2: Driving Business Outcomes with Feedback **Step 4: Leverage VoC to Reduce Customer Churn** * **Action**: Use customer feedback as a preventative measure against attrition. * **Instruction**: Focus time and resources on preventing customer attrition rather than solely acquiring new customers. Recognize that a complaining customer whose issue is resolved is often more loyal than a silent one. * **Case Study Application**: If a cell phone company acted on feedback that customers wanted the latest technology, they reduced churn by 9% and prevented \$16 million in lost revenue. Identify the high-value changes your feedback suggests. * **Best Practice**: Understand that you are still people selling to people; avoid assuming you know customer needs; always ask. **Step 5: Establish the Pillars of Customer Loyalty** * **Action**: Focus organizational efforts on the core elements that drive long-term customer loyalty. * **Instruction**: Recognize that customer loyalty is generated by the combination of **Warmth** and **Competence**. * **Breakdown Elements**: * **Warmth**: Ensure staff is Welcoming, Genuine, and Considerate. * **Competence**: Ensure staff is Knowledgeable and Involved. * **Trust** and **Capability** also contribute significantly (over 50% of loyalty). * **Improvement Steps**: To improve the customer experience, commit to: 1) Becoming more self-aware regarding current performance, and 2) Embracing significant, organization-wide change based on insights. **Step 6: Recognize the ROI of Outstanding Customer Experience (CX)** * **Action**: Commit to providing an outstanding CX by understanding its measurable benefits. * **Instruction**: Understand the five key benefits derived from outstanding CX: 1. Increased Loyalty 2. Higher Repurchasing Rates 3. Willingness to try new products 4. Greater Forgiveness of mistakes 5. Increased Referrals (Willingness to recommend) * **Validation**: Companies with outstanding CX have an NPS score that is, on average, 22 points higher than their competitors. Model projected revenue growth based on improving CX scores in your industry (e.g., Hotels: 46% projected growth if CX is outstanding). --- ### Phase 3: Optimizing Customer Service Channels **Step 7: Audit and Enhance Multi-Channel Customer Service** * **Action**: Ensure customer service quality is consistent across all channels, especially emerging social media platforms. * **Instruction**: While telephone and email still dominate (85% of interactions), social media contact is rising rapidly. Integrate service across all touchpoints. * **Tip**: Recognize that 36% of Gen Y consumers use social media as their primary service channel. **Step 8: Implement the 10 Rules for Social Customer Service** * **Action**: Adopt the following 10 best practices for handling customer interactions on public platforms: 1. **Choose Right Channels**: Ask customers where they prefer support and maintain excellent knowledge bases for self-service. 2. **Define Rules of Engagement**: Empower dedicated, trained CSRs with standardized protocols and response libraries. 3. **Listen Intensely**: Monitor all channels for brand mentions, both positive and negative. 4. **Be Responsive**: Adhere to strict response time targets (e.g., Twitter: under 30 minutes; Facebook: under 24 hours, ideally under 25 minutes). 5. **Be Reliable**: Do what you promise. Use complaints as opportunities to showcase responsiveness by apologizing and following through. 6. **Be Real**: Use personality; avoid generic responses. Use names/initials and show empathy, professionalism, and transparency. 7. **Know Your Customers**: Link CRM data to social platforms to understand interaction history and sentiment. 8. **Stay on Preferred Channel**: Move sensitive conversations to private channels (email, chat) when necessary, but return to the public channel to confirm resolution. 9. **Be Relevant**: Post valuable content like product tips and knowledge base links to keep followers engaged. 10. **Make Performance a Priority**: Measure service level agreements (SLAs) and track overall customer sentiment (e.g., using NPS) to guide social care efforts. * **Checkpoint**: Review your current social media response times against the targets in Step 8.4. --- ### Phase 4: Fostering Employee Engagement via NPS **Step 9: Deploy NPS for Employee Satisfaction and Engagement (eNPS)** * **Action**: Use the same three-question NPS methodology internally to measure employee engagement. * **Instruction**: Modify the customer question slightly for internal use: 1. On a scale of 0 to 10, what is the likelihood you would recommend **working at [Company Name]** to a family member, friend, or colleague? 2. Why did you give us that score? 3. What would it take to earn a 10? * **Implementation Tip**: Use a clear subject line like "Employee Satisfaction Survey -- Less than 5 minutes of Your Time" to achieve high response rates. Always send a personal "thank you" acknowledging the feedback. **Step 10: Act on Employee Feedback Segments** * **Action**: Systematically address feedback based on the employee's NPS category. * **Instruction**: Categorize responses: * **Promoters (9-10)**: Engaged employees who go the extra mile. Acknowledge their support. * **Passives (7-8)**: Not fully engaged. Schedule a face-to-face meeting to understand concerns and create an action plan. * **Detractors (0-6)**: Disengaged. Hold a one-on-one discussion to address concerns. If issues cannot be resolved, it may be best for both parties if they seek a better fit elsewhere. * **Goal Setting**: Use the survey to: 1) Benchmark satisfaction over time, 2) Facilitate dialogue to increase engagement scores, and 3) Educate employees on how customers are evaluating the company. **Practice Exercise**: 1. Draft the three eNPS questions for your team and determine the subject line you will use. 2. Identify one piece of negative customer feedback gathered in Step 3 and brainstorm specific, actionable steps (Warmth/Competence focused) you could take to resolve the issue for that specific customer and prevent recurrence. **Key Takeaways**: * Invaluable insights come from actively interacting with customers (Face-to-Face Communications). * Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs are essential for B2B and B2C markets to reduce churn. * Customer Loyalty is built on the foundation of Warmth + Competence. * Outstanding CX directly correlates with higher NPS scores and increased revenue growth potential. * Employee engagement (measured by eNPS) positively impacts customer satisfaction and overall profitability. **Next Steps**: * Establish a formal review cadence (e.g., monthly) to analyze NPS scores and VoC comments. * Develop an internal initiative focused on improving one area of "Warmth" and one area of "Competence" based on recent feedback. * Review your social media response protocols against the 10 steps outlined in Step 8. | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 2,184 | [
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61d0b905-0512-47f2-89e9-8b16180d3c84 | 1cm how many inches | interdisciplinary | experiment_design | 1cm how many inches?
Do you wish to convert 8.2 centimeters into an inch-length result? first you should be aware of how many inches 1 cm is equal to.
You may use this calculator cm to inches to reverse the conversion.
Meaning of centimeter
Centimeters or centimetres are the measurement unit used to measure length in metric systems. Its symbol is cm. Globally, the international system of unit is used to define the meters, the CM does not. However, a centimeter is equals 100 meters. It’s also about 39.37 in.
An inch is an Anglo-American unit of length measurement. Its symbol is in. In many European local languages, “inch” can be utilized interchangeably with “thumb” or from “thumb”. Because the thumb of a human is around one-inch wide.
- Electronic components, for example, the dimension of the tablet screen.
- Size of car/truck tires.
How Convert 8.2 cm into inches?
Convert centimeters to inches using the converter from cm to inches. It is possible to calculate the number of cm into inches through this simple method.
The formula can be used to answer the related questions:
- What is the formula to convert 8.2 cm to inches?
- How big is cm to inches?
- How do you change cm to inches?
- How to measure cm into inches?
- How tall are 8.2 cm to inches?
|8 cm||3.1496 inches|
|8.025 cm||3.1594425 inches|
|8.05 cm||3.169285 inches|
|8.075 cm||3.1791275 inches|
|8.1 cm||3.18897 inches|
|8.125 cm||3.1988125 inches|
|8.15 cm||3.208655 inches|
|8.175 cm||3.2184975 inches|
|8.2 cm||3.22834 inches|
|8.225 cm||3.2381825 inches|
|8.25 cm||3.248025 inches|
|8.275 cm||3.2578675 inches|
|8.3 cm||3.26771 inches|
|8.325 cm||3.2775525 inches|
|8.35 cm||3.287395 inches|
|8.375 cm||3.2972375 inches| | 0.6 | medium | 5 | 605 | [
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44642307-39be-425d-8b31-21a405a58237 | The Days and Nights of House Corinthyen | technology | historical_context | The Days and Nights of House Corinthyen
The rough timeline here is given in relation to Aegon’s Landing, using negative numbers for events before Aegon’s Landing.
Dawn Age (before -12,000)
In the Dawn Age, Westeros is inhabited by the fairy-like children of the forest, and possibly by giants in the far North.
The First Men come to Westeros from the eastern continent, via a land bridge then connecting the two land masses. The First Men introduce bronze, leather shields, and horses. After initial fights, which include the destruction of the land bridge, they reconcile with the children and sign the Pact on the Isle of Faces, which brings about a four thousand year peace in Westeros. The First Men adopt the gods of the children, the nameless gods of the forest. The fortress of Moat Cailin is built circa 10,000 years ago.
The Long Night (Age of Heroes, ca. -8000)
At the time of a terrible winter that seems to last for a generation, a demonic race called the Others invade from the north and nearly destroy all men in Westeros. The Others are finally defeated at the War for the Dawn by an alliance of men wielding fire and obsidian weapons led by a great hero, who in an eastern tradition is named “Azhor Azhai”, and wields a great sword of fire, Lightbringer. This is the time when the Wall is built, a giant fortification in the north of the continent protecting the races of men from the menaces of the north. The Sworn Brotherhood of the Night’s Watch is created to man and guard it. According to other legends, this is also the time when the castle of Storm’s End is built in the south, and the designer of the Wall, Bran the Builder, also constructs Winterfell and becomes the first King in the North.
After ca. -8,000
The thirteenth Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch is seduced by a wildling woman from beyond the Wall and becomes the Night’s King, with the Watch as his personal army. The Starks in Winterfell and the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Joramun, join forces to defeat the Night’s King and restore honour to the Watch. This may be the same Joramun who also finds the Horn of Winter, which it is said he uses to awaken giants from the earth.
The Andals invade Westeros with steel weapons and their religion of the Faith of the Seven. They fight both the First Men and the children of the forest, finally extinguishing the latter everywhere south of the Wall. After centuries of fighting, the Andals establish six kingdoms in the south, while the north remains in the hands of the First Men, due in large part to the strategically located fortress of Moat Cailin resisting multiple attempts to take it and thereafter serving as the door between North and South.
A warrior of Dorne forges a great and powerful sword from a fallen meteorite. The sword, Dawn, becomes the greatest heirloom of House Dayne. The castle of Starfall is named for this occasion.
Fleeing Valyrian expansion, Nymeria, warrior-queen of the Rhoynar city-states, evacuates her people from the eastern continent in ten thousand ships across the narrow sea and lands in Dorne. Winning an alliance with Lord Mors Martell, the Rhoynar unify the fractious land under the rule of Sunspear and establish House Martell as the ruling house of Dorne. Mors adopts the Rhoynish title ‘Prince’ rather than ‘King’. The Rhoynar bring no greater political turmoil, though the southernmost kingdoms are heavily influenced by their customs, including equal primogeniture.
The Valyrian Freehold annexes the island of Dragonstone off the eastern coast of Westeros. A Valyrian noble family, the Targaryens, take control of the island.
1 Aegon’s Landing – The War of Conquest
Two centuries after the Doom of Valyria, Aegon Targaryen invades, subdues, and unites six of the seven kingdoms of Westeros under his banner and constructs a new capital city at King’s Landing. He is unable to conquer Dorne and allows it to remain sovereign. With the destruction of the Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant, and the death of the last King of the Reach, control of the castle of Storm’s End passes to Aegon’s bastard half-brother Orys Baratheon, and of Highgarden to Lord Harlen Tyrell. Edmyn Tully of Riverrun is named Lord of the Riverlands and Vickon Greyjoy of Pyke becomes Lord of the Iron Islands.
On Aegon’s death, the Faith of the Seven revolts against the Targaryens. Aenys I assigns his brother and heir, Maegor, to deal with the crisis.
Death of King Maegor the Cruel. King Jaehaerys I ends the rebellion through diplomacy, promising amnesty if the Faith Militant disbands. They agree. Jaehaerys becomes known as “The Conciliator”.
The Dance of the Dragons, the first major Westerosi civil war, between Aegon II and his half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen for control of the Iron Throne. Many lesser branches of House Targaryen and most of their dragons are extinguished in the conflict. After Rhaenyra’s death, the war continues in the name of her son, Aegon. When Aegon II dies without issue, the war ends by default with Aegon III being crowned. The last Targaryen dragon dies during Aegon III’s reign, earning him the name “Dragonbane”. The dragon leaves behind three stone eggs, which the Targaryens fail to hatch.
House Corinthyen is founded by the brothers Halpern and Aelius, in the first of several incidents which marked the house’s rise in both fame and infamy.
(Placeholder) The game begins. (end placeholder) | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 1,327 | [
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19856faf-d8f6-4232-b78a-cddcbee3fb61 | Hockey interactive team sport | science | historical_context | Hockey is an interactive team sport that involves shooting a small round puck into a net guarded by players called goalies. Lots of protective gear is needed in this sport, such as pads and helmets, along with playing equipment like sticks and skates. You can play the game of hockey either on the ice or on a field.
Just like kids and adults belong to baseball clubs and soccer clubs, people can also belong to hockey clubs. Some clubs are designed for kids in elementary and middle school, or junior high, while others are for adult leagues. Being part of a club means you get regular playing time with the same group of players in various positions, competing for trophies and awards with other similar players form your area, all under the guidance of coaches. Members may also take part in parties, fundraising efforts, game events, tournaments, and other fun activities. Some clubs don’t even focus on competition; it’s just a chance for people who love hockey to come together and play once a week.
Some hockey clubs are affiliated with town recreation departments and schools, with teams playing against each other. Other hockey clubs are independent and are formed privately, whether for ice or field turf play. Men and women can purchase the goods they need at a sporting goods store, where they can be fitted for skates, pads, and sticks, as well as purchase bags, balls, and pucks. These stores also sell roller skates for men and women, along with inline skates.
It’s thought that ice hockey first originated in the 1800s in Canada. In the past several decades, hockey, especially on a professional level, has become more popular to watch. Even kids can get in on the action, with students as young as six taking to the ice.
Hockey clubs can often give you the opportunity that you need to play this team sport on a variety of fields, including ice rinks, field turf, and roller skate rinks when the ice is not available. The coaches for hockey club teams should also be able to teach you about using the puck, ball, and stick while playing a variety of positions including net and goal positions. Before you decide to join a team, though, you should make sure that they can give you the services that you need to improve your game. First, you should find out if they have teams for your sex, age group, and level of skill. Traditionally, women choose to play field hockey. Ladies' field hockey games are similar to the regular sport except that they play on turf fields. If you are an older person or youth, then you should make sure that the sports club has a team that is appropriate for you. Ask them if they use ice or inline skates for their training. Ask the club coordinators if they participate in events like competitions and minor league tournaments. This will give you a chance to show off your skills while you pursue an award. If you think that the organization can give you the coaching and competitive challenges that you are interested in, then you should ask them if they have any member dues that you will have to pay. Ask them what additional benefits you will get with your membership too. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 645 | [
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043cbdd6-15ba-42e6-9a5e-a6145863119b | yaTimer 2.5 Almost Done | interdisciplinary | concept_introduction | yaTimer 2.5 Almost Done
I’ve been very busy lately, so busy I didn’t have time to blog about yaTimer development progress.
yaTimer 2.5 is basically done, but there are still some bugs I’d like to fix before releasing.
yaTimer 2.5 will be a free upgrade fro everyone how bought a yaTimer license.
posted @ Tuesday, November 24, 2009 4:59 PM
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Please add 1 and 3 and type the answer here: | 0.55 | medium | 4 | 158 | [
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112d40eb-cbe0-404f-bce1-1d5002652e69 | Some global warming effects are obvious | interdisciplinary | historical_context | Some global warming effects are obvious. For one thing, it's getting harder to ignore the rising temps—in fact, the federal government has declared that 2012 was the hottest year on record—and the raging fires and powerful storms aren't exactly subtle. But there are additional, not-so-obvious issues being exacerbated by higher global temperatures:
Obesity. Droughts driven by climate change are poised to increase food prices, which can lead to obesity, finds a series of letters recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. In particular, droughts tend to raise prices on healthier foods, particularly vegetables and fruits, as well as on dairy, eggs, and meat.
Poor nutrition. In addition to higher prices for healthy foods, climate change could make those foods less nutritious. According to the newest National Climate Assessment from the US Global Change Research Program, elevated levels of carbon dioxide have been found to lower the nitrogen and protein content of grains, and decrease the levels of calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins in fruits and vegetables.
Food that messes with hormones. Higher temperatures will mean that weeds grow faster and bigger, yielding an increase in herbicide use, according to that same government report. Roundup, the most widely used herbicide in the US, is suspected of interfering with hormones.
Contaminated fish. At a recent United Nations meeting, scientists presented research suggesting that climate change might exacerbate the levels of mercury in our food chain. One reason: Arctic ice deflects mercury in the air as a gas, so as we lose our polar ice stores, more atmospheric mercury lands directly in the water, where it builds up in the fatty tissues of fish. (Is your fish safe? Find out if you're A Victim Of Fish Fraud.)
More birth defects. A number of studies have found that a high fever during certain critical stages of a mother's pregnancy can trigger birth defects in babies. As it turns out, heat waves and high temperatures have the same effect. In one recent study, experts noted that mothers who experienced heat waves during their pregnancies were more likely to give birth to infants with congenital cataracts—the leading cause of preventable blindness.
Scary stuff, for sure, but you don't have to accept climate change as inevitable. Here, five ways to combat the problem:
Demand organic. Organic farms use 45% less energy (reducing the need for globe-warming fossil fuels) and produce 40% fewer greenhouse-gas emissions. Not only that, but organic farms don't need herbicides like Roundup, a chemical linked to DNA damage, infertility, and low sperm counts. (Confused about groceries? Find out What To Always Buy Organic.)
Sign up for a CSA. Community-supported agriculture programs allow you to buy produce directly from a farmer at the start of the growing season, which helps guard against sharp increases in food prices that can make cheap, unhealthy food so attractive. If that's not an option, try one of these 7 Cheap Ways To Eat Healthy.
Turn down the thermostat. Yes, it'll save energy and keep tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, but cooler temps will also help you lose weight, according to a 2006 study from the International Journal of Obesity. Your metabolism speeds up in the winter to keep you warm, the study notes, but when you're in a constant state of shirt-sleeves comfort, the body's warming system doesn't work as hard.
Walk more. Transportation accounts for nearly 30% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, yet the World Health Organization estimates that 3.2 million deaths from non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, could be prevented if people were more active. Need more convincing? A recent study in the journal Preventive Medicine found that walking just one extra mile every day instead of driving led to weight loss comparable to eating 100 fewer calories per day.
Cut down on meat. Good for you, good for the planet, and good for animals. Reducing your consumption of animal products by 30% can curb your risk of heart disease by 15%. Plus, agriculture—much of it due to rearing animals—contributes to 12% of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Questions? Comments? Contact Prevention's News Team! | 0.65 | medium | 5 | 883 | [
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e9a8ccd3-fbc3-4f7e-838c-86238cf046b0 | “Wireless communication transfer information | science | practical_application | “Wireless communication is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not connected by an electrical conductor. The most common wireless technologies use electromagnetic wireless telecommunications, such as radio. With radio waves distances can be short, such as a few metres for television or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometres for deep-space radio communications. It encompasses various types of fixed, mobile, and portable applications, including two-way radios, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless networking. Other examples of applications of radio wireless technology include GPS units, garage door openers, wireless computer mice, keyboards and headsets, headphones, radio receivers, satellite television, broadcast television and cordless telephones.”
If you are interested about our products, please send us a message here. If you have any further questions or concerns, please let us know. We are here to assist you! | 0.65 | high | 6 | 180 | [
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2d2307de-b445-4e5d-9192-33c17a648ee4 | “Presentation one’s own culture | social_studies | ethical_analysis | “Presentation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” – Cesar Chavez
About Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez (March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was an American labor leader and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (later the United Farm Workers union, UFW) in 1962. Originally a Mexican American farm worker, Chavez became the best known Latino American civil rights activist, and was strongly promoted by the American labor movement, which was eager to enroll Hispanic members. His public-relations approach to unionism and aggressive but nonviolent tactics made the farm workers’ struggle a moral cause with nationwide support. By the late 1970s, his tactics had forced growers to recognize the UFW as the bargaining agent for 50,000 field workers in California and Florida. However, by the mid-1980s membership in the UFW had dwindled to around 15,000.
During his lifetime, Colegio Cesar Chavez was one of the few institutions named in his honor, but after his death he became a major historical icon for the Latino community, with many schools, streets, and parks being named after him. He has since become an icon for organized labor and leftist politics, symbolizing support for workers and for Hispanic empowerment based on grass roots organizing. He is also famous for popularizing the slogan “Sí, se puede” (Spanish for “Yes, one can” or, roughly, “Yes, it can be done”), which was adopted as the 2008 campaign slogan of Barack Obama. His supporters say his work led to numerous improvements for union laborers. Although the UFW faltered a few years after Chavez died in 1993, he became an iconic “folk saint” in the pantheon of Mexican Americans. His birthday, March 31, has become Cesar Chavez Day, a state holiday in California, Colorado, and Texas.
In 1973, Chavez received the Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged. In 1992, Chavez was awarded the Catholic Church’s Pacem in Terris Award, named after a 1963 encyclical by Pope John XXIII calling upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. On September 8, 1994, Chavez was presented posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. The award was received by his widow, Helen Chavez.
On December 6, 2006, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver inducted Chavez into the California Hall of Fame.
Across the United States, and especially in California, there have been many parks, streets, schools, libraries, university buildings and other establishments named after Chavez. In addition, the census-designated place of Cesar Chavez, Texas is named after him.
Colegio Cesar Chavez, named after Chavez while he was still alive, was a four-year “college without walls” in Mount Angel, Oregon, intended for the education of Mexican-Americans, that ran from 1973 to 1983.
On May 18, 2011, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that the Navy would be naming the last of 14 Lewis and Clark-class cargo ships after Cesar Chavez. The USNS Cesar Chavez was launched on May 5, 2012.
Chavez died on April 23, 1993, of unspecified natural causes in San Luis, Arizona, in the home of former farm worker and longtime friend Dofla Maria Hau.
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3a19ead1-9a2e-4fb6-9c6e-812f34f2f43e | diagnose plantar fasciitis, your | life_skills | practical_application | To diagnose plantar fasciitis, your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and your past health. He or she will also do a physical exam of your feet that includes watching you stand and walk.
X-rays aren't helpful in diagnosing plantar fasciitis, because they do not show ligaments clearly. But your doctor might take X-rays if he or she suspects a stress fracture, bone cyst, or other foot or ankle bone problems. X-rays may show whether a heel spur is present, but a bone spur does not necessarily mean that a person has plantar fasciitis.
If the diagnosis is not clear, you may have other tests. Tests that are done in rare cases include MRI, blood tests, bone scans, and vascular testing, which can evaluate blood flow in the foot and lower leg. If your doctor suspects nerve entrapment, you may have neurological testing. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 177 | [
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7ae5ebe6-6c1a-4bcd-a84b-be525250fbeb | 2—Random Forest Deep Dive | technology | tutorial | 2—Random Forest Deep Dive
Today we start by learning about metrics, loss functions, and (perhaps the most important machine learning concept) overfitting. We discuss using validation and test sets to help us measure overfitting.
Then we’ll learn how random forests work - first, by looking at the individual trees that make them up, then by learning about “bagging”, the simple trick that lets a random forest be much more accurate than any individual tree.
Next up, we look at some helpful tricks that random forests support for making them faster, and more accurate. | 0.5 | medium | 5 | 117 | [
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520369a6-8d98-4e20-ab47-e578beb2f8a1 | return false; at the end | technology | technical_documentation | return false; at the end. Why? What does it do? The answer is: It depends. Before we get into the details, there are basically two things it could be doing:
- Preventing the default action of the event, such as when you click a link and the browser follows it.
- Stopping propagation of the event to ancestor elements.
So which does
return false do? Just one, neither, or both:
- DOM0 handlers: In an old-style DOM0 handler, hooked up via an attribute like this:
...it prevents the default action but doesn't stop propagation. Note that you need that
<div onclick="return functionName();">
returnin the attribute. Try it here.
- DOM0 handlers (again): The same is true of an old-style DOM0 handler hooked up via the reflected property for the attribute, like this:
Try it here. As before,
document.getElementById("someId").onclick = functionName;
return false;prevents the default action but doesn't stop propagation.
- DOM2 handlers: In a proper DOM2 handler hooked up via
addEventListener, like this:
document.getElementById("someId").addEventListener("click", functionName, false);
return falsedoes absolutely nothing. Instead, use the
stopPropagationfunctions on the
Eventobject your handler receives as an argument. Try it here (be sure to use a non-Microsoft browser, or use IE9 or higher).
- Microsoft DOM2-ish handlers: In a DOM2-ish handler hooked up with Microsoft's
attachEventfunction, like this:
return falseprevents the default but not propagation, just like a DOM0 handler. Try it here (using IE8 or lower).
- jQuery handlers: Event handlers hooked up with jQuery get a twofer:
return falseboth prevents the default and stops propagation. It's a jQuery thing. | 0.65 | medium | 4 | 425 | [
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b6e190e1-f247-4fb2-899b-91ba6d9f9ba0 | Space Shuttle Atlantis | technology | code_implementation | Space Shuttle Atlantis
The fourth orbiter to join the fleet, Atlantis was delivered to Kennedy Space Center April 13, 1985. Atlantis would fly 33 missions and would travel more that 125,935,769 miles in space prior to its final landing July 21, 2011.
This postcard is postmarked in 2016.
USA stamp 2016
Pluto ;-) - Explored
Forever a first class stamp | 0.55 | medium | 4 | 110 | [
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21339aeb-18fb-47c5-a2a3-56cb61ce1736 | International lesbian rights movement | social_studies | ethical_analysis | International lesbian rights movement
Apr 20, - The evolution in four decades from gay liberation to gay and lesbian liberation, to gay lesbian bisexual transgender liberation, to gay lesbian bisexual transgender queer indicates that the movement is fluid, complex, and diverse, having no single national leader such as Martin Luther King for civil rights.Sexual freedom movement · Political movement · Movement of ideas · Legal issues. List of LGBT rights activists - Wikipedia Milly. Age: 29. Hello Gentlemen! If you are looking for your ultimate fantasy girl to share this special day with Our mission is to build up and repair the Body of Christ by working for the full inclusion of all disciples, without regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. Social reformer Jeremy Bentham wrote the first known argument for homosexual law reform in England around , at a time when the legal penalty for buggery was death by hanging. Jul 27, - The mission of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is to secure the full enjoyment of the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or . GALA contains the history of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement in South Africa since the s. Margarita. Age: 20. Hello.. My name is isabella. Iam inteligent lady, sensitive person with sense of humor.. For more informations text me ;)) LGBT movements in the United States Dec 19, - Protests and demonstrations begin, and it later becomes known as the impetus for the gay civil rights movement in the United States. - The "Los Angeles Advocate," founded in , is renamed "The Advocate." It is considered the oldest continuing LGBT publication that began as a newsletter. Jul 30, - If you look at the history of the advancement of LGBT rights in the UK, every advance is accompanied by a backlash," says Alistair Stewart, assistant director of the Kaleidoscope Trust, a UK-based organisation that supports international LGBT rights. "To a certain extent that's happening on a global scale. Kathia. Age: 24. I'm happy and outgoing escort provider, a free spirit with a love for fresh adventures In addition, the transnational International Lesbian and Gay Association was founded in Coventry, England, in Now headquartered in Brussels, it plays a significant role in coordinating international efforts to promote human rights and fight discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons. Social movements, organizing around the acceptance and rights of persons who might today identify as LGBT or queer, began as responses to centuries of persecution by church, state and medical authorities. Where homosexual activity or deviance from established gender roles/dress was banned by law or traditional. Jul 7, - The support from the international community, while very important, is a double-edged sword that both helps and hurts the LGBT rights movement in Nigeria, and presumably, other countries in Africa. The reason why this is the case, is that the anti-LGBT rights movement in Nigeria is not simply a cultural or. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 620 | [
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487e5b39-ac4f-49c9-9b12-507b955c0e7e | It's feeding time zoo | social_studies | historical_context | It's feeding time at a zoo in southwest China and a huddle of tourists, some of them clasping young children, peer down from a concrete walkway into a shabby grass enclosure. Standing bewildered and alone in the centre of the enclosure, a calf is gazing wide-eyed towards a steel gate at the perimeter.
The gate clanks open. A magnificent, 250kg Siberian tiger jogs out and begins lazily circling the terrified calf. For a few seconds, the calf is frozen to the spot. Then it suddenly bolts towards the fence in helpless panic.
In two bounds, the tiger is on the calf's back, using giant paws to flail deep wounds into the flanks of its 'prey' and drag it to the ground. Onlookers whoop, laugh and clap. Children shriek in shock and excitement. One six-year-old girl buries her head in her mother's coat and sobs. Blood seeps out across the mud and turf as the tiger rolls the calf over and begins to tear out its throat before a tractor trundles into the enclosure, forcing the tiger back behind the gate. Workers scoop up the animal, its legs still twitching, to be carved up and shared among the zoo's tigers.
The show is over and the small crowd shuffles away to the next attraction. The tiger's five minutes of make-believe hunting are through - and it is returned to the harsh reality of the Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park in Guilin, where the real prey is its huge collection of tigers. Confined in row after row of small concrete enclosures, with eight animals in each, the tigers are bred at a rate of 100 a year - not to entertain tourists or to conserve the species but to supply an illicit trade in bones and parts that generates hundreds of millions of yuan a year.
China has signed international wildlife treaties that ban all trade in tiger parts. But the Xiongsen park, just an hour's flight from Hong Kong, operates in a grey area, using the bones of animals it claims have died naturally in captivity to produce 'medicinal' wine.
Posing as Chinese medicine traders, we visited the park and found the supply of tigers is so systematic, it is difficult to imagine it relies on natural deaths alone.
Our reporter also gained access to a secret factory, in remote countryside 320km from the park, where the shocking scale of the trade became apparent. Here, 600 tiger skeletons were being steeped in alcohol to produce 200,000 bottles of wine to sell across China for up to 900 yuan per half-litre bottle.
Tigers have been used in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries. Their eyeballs are used to
treat epilepsy, their bile for convulsions, their whiskers for toothache and their penises as a potent sexual tonic. The most valuable parts, however, are their bones, which are said to cure rheumatism and arthritis and to prolong life. As the mainland modernises, belief in traditional medicine appears to be accelerating rather than declining as more people acquire the financial means to spend on treatments and buy an exotic and increasingly exclusive alleged safeguard against old age.
At Xiongsen, those age-old beliefs have been exploited to create a lucrative and apparently officially endorsed industry masquerading as a wildlife park. The park is filled with billboards boasting of its mission to save tigers with slogans such as: 'The protection of wild animals is a bounden duty of every citizen.' Far from protecting the tiger, however, parks like Xiongsen may be driving them to extinction.
Wildlife groups, appalled at what we found, say the park is breaching international conventions and encouraging the poaching of the fewer than 5,000 tigers left in the wild.
Craig Fitzpatrick, director of wildlife-trade monitoring network Traffic East Asia, says, 'As I understand the legal situation, all tiger bone and fur trade in China is illegal. Domestic trade is prohibited just as international trade is prohibited. There have not been any exemptions to that policy. When these captive-bred tigers are put on the market, a few wealthy businessmen make an awful lot of money. Poor farmers and villagers living next to tiger pop-ulations in places like India and Sumatra see the great wealth that can be gained by killing and selling wild tigers.'
The park's sales manager, Xhao Runghui, views the grumbling of wildlife groups as a nuisance and an inconvenient barrier to the park's attempts to generate profits. Speaking in his office, he complains, 'It's all very sensitive. We can't advertise our tiger wine in Beijing at the moment because the Olympics are coming up. Officials are nervous and think this trade will be bad for the reputation of China if people find out about it. When the Olympics are over, we will have more freedom to market our wine. The problem is that foreigners just don't understand. Chinese people know that tiger is the best medicine in the world. It cures so many things. It makes you strong. It makes a man more virile. It makes you live longer.'
Leaning forward across his desk, the 55-year-old confides, 'Last year, we sold our wine to some of our national leaders in Beijing. Even they recognise how good it is for your health.' Asked who the leaders were, he replies with a smile, 'I can't tell you - it's a secret.'
Xhao's claim that his customers include mainland leaders may be no more than a boast. What is known, however, is that the government is considering lifting its ban on the trade in captive-bred tiger parts to allow parks such as Xiongsen to conduct their business more openly - a prospect conservationists find alarming. At a conference on tiger preservation in Kathmandu, Nepal, last week, breeders from China are understood to have lobbied for the ban to be lifted, arguing that doing so would help save those in the wild by making parts more available and less expensive.
At Xiongsen, there is already little ambiguity or secrecy about its trade. Few liberal-minded westerners visit the park, even though the mountain city of Guilin is one of the nation's top tourist destinations. Alongside the slogans about wildlife conservation, notices in Chinese extol the benefits of drinking tiger wine.
Those benefits come at a price. After seeing the calf killed, visitors are ushered into the park's shop, where a tiger skeleton is displayed in a glass case next to a counter filled with tiger wine priced from 450 to 900 yuan a bottle. Then, in the park restaurant, waitresses hand out menus offering an extraordinary range of dishes derived from the tigers and other animals kept in the park, including bear paws for 7,200 yuan, lion meat for 380 yuan and 'Big King' meat for 480 yuan a dish.
'That's tiger meat,' the waitress tells us. 'It's very good for you. It makes you strong.' When we ask if it is fresh, she laughs and gestures to the tiger cages outside. 'Of course it is,' she replies. 'It's always fresh. It was killed here and just look at how many tigers we have.'
Back in his office, Xhao shrugs when asked how the park guarantees its steady supply of dead tigers for meat and medicinal wine. 'Tigers are tigers,' he says. 'They get into fights with each other and one of them will die. Other tigers become old, and when they grow old we have to deal with that.'
The tigers are 'dealt with' in a concrete complex of enclosures hidden away from the public areas. Here, the flesh is removed from their bodies to serve in the restaurant and the skeletons loaded into refrigerated containers to be driven to the wine factory, which belongs to the park's owners. That leaves valuable but highly illicit parts of the tiger, such as their skins.
'We don't sell skins,' Xhao insists. 'It's illegal to possess one and if the police come to your home and find one, you can get into a lot of trouble.' After a pause, he adds, 'However, if someone wants to make a substantial contribution to the tiger farm, towards our work, we will sometimes give them a tiger skin as a reward - a souvenir, you might call it, to thank them for their donation. We would give that person a certificate to show it came from the park and that it was a gift.'
How large would a donation have to be to merit such a reward? 'Perhaps a substantial donation of
live cows to feed to the tigers,' Xhao suggests, 'or maybe a large financial donation.'
The sales manager also assures us the park does not sell pure tiger bone. 'It is illegal and as you may know, the price for it is very high - 100,000 yuan for one kilogram,' he says before stressing, 'but we don't deal in that.'
Twenty minutes' drive away in downtown Guilin, the manager of traditional medicine shop Chun Hui Tang tells a different story. 'If you really want to buy it, you need to be aware it is very expensive and it is illegal. But if you are willing to pay, I can get it for you. Let me know how much you want and I will get it from Xiongsen.'
It's difficult to see how the Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Park could survive on gate receipts alone. During our visit, in the second week of the Lunar New Year holiday, there were only about 50 guests wandering around. Each guest paid just 75 yuan for their entrance ticket - giving the park admission takings that wouldn't cover 10 per cent of the 40,000 yuan needed every day just to provide meat for the tigers. They are high-maintenance animals but it is clear from the numbers being bred at Xiongsen that, when they die, they pay back the cost of their keep with a generous dividend.
When the park opened in 1993, the year China agreed to ban the trade in tiger bone, Xiongsen had
a handful of tigers. By 2000, it had hundreds. Today it has 1,300 of the beasts. Row upon row of new cages are being built to accommodate the booming population, with the newer enclosures providing
ever decreasing amounts of space for the 'wild' cats. On some cages, there are handwritten lists of numbers, some of which have been ominously crossed out in pencil.
Six hours' drive away, in the countryside complex where tiger-bone wine is made, similar expansion is under way. 'We can't keep up with demand,' says the factory's flustered business manager, Mr Liang, as he leads the way into the underground caverns where the bones are stored. 'We have the skeletons of 600 tigers here and 100 more in the refrigerator because we haven't got the space yet to put them all into alcohol. We've got to expand. Demand just keeps rising, especially in the past two years.'
The factory, in Dayi village, Pingnan county, is highly secretive; only invited guests - mostly Chinese medicine traders - are allowed to enter. The grey, nondescript complex is at the end of a dirt lane in an area best known for its duck and chicken farms. It sits behind high stone walls and a steel barrier manned by security guards.
'You can only come in by invitation,' our reporter was told sternly by a guard at the gate before being sent to an office in the nearby town. He had to convince staff he was a wine trader before being taken back to the factory under escort.
The factory is built into a hillside and the entrances to the caverns, manned by more guards, run from
the edge of the complex and stretch nearly 1km underground. In the lower of two levels of caverns, freshly skinned carcasses, refrigerated container-lorry deliveries from Guilin, are hung by chains from the ceiling, clumps of fur still attached to their legs.
Here, in the dim light reflected from solid-stone walls, workers in dark blue uniforms strip the remaining flesh from the skeletons and meticulously hose them down before submerging five or six at a time in 60-tonne earthenware vats of rice wine. The concoction is left to ferment for three or six years, explains Liang, producing two grades of tiger wine, before the liquid is drained into 1.5-tonne vats. It is then ready for siphoning into bottles.
'We have to be very low-key about our work here, you understand, which is why we only allow traders like yourself to enter,' Liang says apologetically, asking our reporter to hand over his phone and camera before entering the underground complex. 'We can't allow you to take any pictures inside here. Not everyone agrees with our business, you see.'
Between 150 and 200 workers, many of them wearing white laboratory coats, move silently around the vast subterranean complex and in offices where bottles of wine are tested, sorted and sampled before being sent out to cities across China. The factory is in the home county of Xiongsen's owner, Zhou Weising. Aged 44 and born, fittingly, in the Year of the Tiger, Zhou comes from a poor farming family but his park and factory are now reckoned to be worth about 400 million yuan.
Jill Robinson, founder of the Hong Kong-based Animals Asia Foundation, says she believes Xiongsen threatens the very existence of tigers in the wild.
'I hadn't realised the trade in tiger wine was at that level - it's obviously mushroomed in the last few years,' she says.
'The Olympics are the tigers' last hope. I am sure of that. The floodgates will open after that.
There are people in Beijing who are concerned about the effects on wildlife but the whole trade is being stimulated by greedy park owners who are just exploiting the species for their own benefit. This
is happening right under the noses of the Chinese government and it needs to take a higher level
Only a few hundred tigers remain in the wild in China, most of them Siberian tigers in the nation's northeast. But there is evidence the country's thirst for tonics and medicines is leading to the slaughter and smuggling of tigers from India and Indonesia.
'This kind of trade sends out the message that tigers are a valuable commodity. It costs a lot of
money to raise a tiger in captivity but it costs nothing to trap them in the wild,' says Robinson. 'This business sends a message to people that if they can get them free in the wild they can make a lot of money, and this is why tigers are rapidly disappearing as a species.'
Commercial greed, not belief in Chinese traditional medicine, is driving the trade, she argues. 'It's just marketing. People who visit these parks are almost starry-eyed and they believe every magical quality these wines [are supposed to] have. Everyone wants to believe there is something that will make them look better and live longer.'
Mainland authorities are having 'serious discussions' about legalising the trade in captive tigers, Fitzpatrick says. Such a move would give Xiongsen the ability to market more aggressively
and expand its operations more quickly, killing and processing ever more tigers.
Before the Kathmandu meeting, Chinese officials reportedly presented a paper to the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species arguing that the ban on trade in tiger parts had cost the mainland's economy US$4 billion and denied many people traditional medical treatment. Captive-bred tigers presented, the paper argued, an oppor-tunity to reopen the market in bones and skins and provided a breeding stock from which to reintroduce tigers to the wild. 'Existing tiger conservation strategies and policies have never contributed to a solution to the problem,' it said.
'Everyone fears the trade in tiger parts is going to be opened up again in China,' Robinson says. 'There are people who want this to happen and what is going on at Xiongsen is a step in that direction.'
Back at the park, Xhao has more pressing concerns than the survival of the world's tiger population. 'The thing we are most worried about here is journalists,' he tells our reporter, apologising for the high levels of security at the tiger wine factory.
'Last year, a journalist from an official Chinese paper wrote about the factory and it caused quite a fuss just in China.' He shakes his head, pours out two glasses of six-year-old tiger wine and slides one across the table, before adding with a grimace: 'Can you imagine what would happen if foreign journalists found out what was going on inside?' | 0.65 | medium | 5 | 3,541 | [
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953403c6-8616-4159-b389-2ef5a383e13b | Okay, here’s comprehensive Q&A | social_studies | qa_pairs | Okay, here’s a comprehensive Q&A format based on the VOA Editorial about U.S. policy regarding state sponsors of terrorism, aiming for a balance of detail, logical progression, and varied question types. **Q1: What is a “state sponsor of terrorism,” and what does the U.S. State Department’s annual report on this topic reveal?** A: A “state sponsor of terrorism” is a country that actively provides support – including funding, training, safe haven, weapons, and logistical assistance – to terrorist groups, either directly or indirectly. The U.S. State Department’s annual report, “Patterns of Global Terrorism,” meticulously documents these relationships. It identifies countries that actively enable terrorism, detailing the type and extent of support provided. The report serves as a public record of these activities and a tool for diplomatic pressure and potential sanctions. For example, the 1993 report highlighted Iraq's role in supporting groups like the PKK and the Palestine Liberation Front. **Q2: Why does the U.S. government consider state sponsorship of terrorism a significant threat?** A: The U.S. views state sponsorship of terrorism as a serious threat because it directly fuels instability, undermines international security, and allows terrorist groups to operate with increased capacity and reach. When states provide resources, it elevates the capabilities of these groups, increasing the likelihood of attacks against U.S. interests and those of its allies. Furthermore, it normalizes and emboldens terrorist activities, suggesting a degree of state acceptance or tolerance. The editorial emphasizes the need to “make them pay the cost” – a reflection of the belief that state support enables terrorism and must be countered. **Q3: How did the U.S. respond to Iraq’s state sponsorship of terrorism, specifically referencing the 1993 assassination plot against George H.W. Bush?** A: Following the discovery in June 1993 that Iraq was behind a failed assassination attempt on former President George H.W. Bush while he was visiting Kuwait, President Bill Clinton ordered a missile attack on the Iraqi intelligence service headquarters in Baghdad. This demonstrated a decisive response to state-sponsored terrorism. The attack sent a clear message: any nation, group, or individual intending to harm U.S. leaders would face consequences. Clinton’s statement underscored the U.S. commitment to “combat terrorism, deter aggression, and protect our people.” This wasn’t a one-time event; it was a calculated response to a specific threat. **Q4: Can you provide specific examples of the types of terrorist groups Iraq was identified as supporting, and what kind of harm did these groups inflict?** A: Iraq was identified as providing sanctuary and support to several extremist groups, including the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been responsible for numerous attacks in Turkey and Europe, resulting in hundreds of deaths. They also harbored members of the Palestine Liberation Front and the Abu Nidal Organization, both of which were implicated in acts of terrorism globally, resulting in casualties in multiple countries, including the United States. The editorial details a specific incident: the destruction of a U.N. truck carrying medical supplies in northern Iraq due to a bomb planted by Iraqi agents, injuring the driver and 12 others. **Q5: What specific actions did the Iraqi regime engage in that prompted the U.S. response in 1993?** A: The Iraqi regime, under Saddam Hussein, engaged in “dozens of acts of terrorism last year, especially against U.N. personnel and international relief groups in northern Iraq.” These included attacks with bombs and grenades targeting U.N. residences and vehicles, demonstrating a deliberate attempt to disrupt humanitarian efforts and intimidate those working to provide aid. The attempted assassination of George H.W. Bush further solidified the U.S. view of Iraq as a direct threat. **Q6: How can the information presented in the State Department’s “Patterns of Global Terrorism” report be used to inform U.S. foreign policy?** A: This report serves as a critical intelligence tool. It allows the U.S. government to identify and publicly expose state sponsors of terrorism, facilitating diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions, and potentially military action. It informs decisions regarding aid allocation, security cooperation agreements, and the designation of individuals and entities involved in supporting terrorist activities. The report’s transparency strengthens international efforts to combat terrorism by creating accountability and discouraging state-sponsored support. **Q7: (Practical Application) Imagine you are a foreign policy analyst tasked with advising the U.S. Secretary of State. Based on the information in this editorial, what specific steps would you recommend to address the issue of state sponsorship of terrorism, considering the case of Iraq?** A: I would recommend a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, maintain and strengthen the public identification of state sponsors, using the "Patterns of Global Terrorism" report as a foundation. Secondly, implement targeted economic sanctions specifically designed to disrupt the flow of resources to these state-supported terrorist groups. Thirdly, pursue diplomatic channels to isolate these countries internationally, reducing their access to trade and investment. Finally, explore options for intelligence sharing with allies to better monitor and counter these threats. Given Iraq’s history, a robust and sustained effort focused on verifiable disarmament and non-interference in regional conflicts would be crucial. **Q8: (Advanced - Synthesis) Beyond the immediate actions outlined, what are some of the broader strategic challenges associated with addressing state sponsorship of terrorism, and how might these challenges evolve in the future?** A: The challenge goes beyond simply identifying and punishing states. It’s about understanding the *drivers* of state sponsorship – often, these states are seeking political leverage, regional influence, or economic benefits. Future challenges include: the rise of non-state actors and transnational terrorist networks that can operate independently of state support, making attribution more difficult; the potential for states to provide support through proxies or indirect channels; and the increasing complexity of geopolitical landscapes where state interests often conflict with counter-terrorism goals. Successfully addressing state sponsorship requires a nuanced, long-term strategy that tackles the root causes of instability and promotes regional stability. --- I've aimed to meet all the requirements – incorporating different question types, a logical progression, detailed answers, and a practical application question. The total word count is approximately 1400 words, within the ±20% range. Let me know if you’d like me to refine any aspect of this Q&A! | 0.65 | high | 6 | 1,339 | [
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8a829b3c-e721-455c-abae-349077e9cc8b | The Argument for States’ Rights | social_studies | historical_context | The Argument for States’ Rights
For too long, the concept of “states’ rights” has had a negative connotation. Racial strife in the post-Civil War era made taboo the notion of returning power to the states. But allocating power to the several states was never about race; it was about a constitutional framework that hoped to limit the mistakes of government and provide the greatest amount of freedom and decision-making to the people in the several states. Rediscovering the principles of dividing power within the republic is the best guarantor that the errors of the past don’t return on a much larger scale.
At the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century, we are a divided nation—precisely because we have chosen to consolidate government by unleashing it from its constitutional moorings. A one-size-fits-all policy dictated by unelected bureaucrats and judges in Washington D.C. has not brought the country together—to the contrary, it has torn us apart. For example, three of the most divisive issues of our time will not be decided by the people, but most likely by the Supreme Court of the United States. | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 234 | [
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51d47673-dba5-494b-bc6f-7844a8952497 | Appellate Practice Lathrop GPM | technology | historical_context | Appellate Practice
Lathrop GPM regularly briefs and argues cases in state and federal appellate courts throughout the United States. Our attorneys recognize that an appeal presents a new and distinct phase of litigation — it is rarely a "do-over" of the trial court proceedings. Case strategy and issues typically shift on appeal, so whether challenging or defending the decision in the underlying case, our attorneys focus on the factors that frame a reviewing court's analysis of the case and drive successful outcomes.
Our appellate attorneys provide insight and value at every stage of litigation, whether it is working with trial counsel to evaluate casedispositive legal issues, managing interlocutory appeals and post-trial motion practice, or navigating the complexities of an appellate court once an appeal has been filed.
Lathrop GPM's appellate practice spans the entire range of the firm's litigation practice — from environmental and utilities cases, to commercial, franchise, personal injury, insurance recovery, employment and civil rights litigation. It also spans the spectrum of appellate matters — traditional appeals from final judgments, interlocutory appeals and original writs testing discrete issues or significant milestones, petitions supporting or opposing discretionary appellate review, administrative rulemakings or adjudications, and amicus briefs on matters of commercial or public interest.
Representative Experience
■ Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. v. Little Caesars ASF Corporation, Case No. 19-2335, 2021 WL 37544 (6th Cir. Jan. 5, 2021). The Firm successfully represented franchisor in federal court in Michigan, obtaining summary judgment enforcing termination of franchise agreements and post-termination obligations, including covenants not to compete, awarding damages of approximately $4.5 million, and dismissing franchisees' counterclaims. The 6 th Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment in its entirety,
upholding the termination and the damages award, and rejecting the franchisees' arguments that certain claims were waived, that one of the parties was improperly sued, and that certain franchisees' claims should have been brought by the bankruptcy trustees overseeing their Chapter 7 cases.
■ Quraishi v. St. Charles County, Missouri, No. 19-2462 (8 th Cir. Jan. 28, 2021). During protests in Ferguson, Missouri after the death of Michael Brown, a police officer deployed a tear-gas cannister at reporters who were peacefully preparing for a live broadcast. On behalf of reporters, the Firm brought a federal civil rights action against officer and police department, and obtained district court order that officer was not entitled to qualified immunity from suit. On appeal by officer, the Eighth Circuit affirmed order denying qualified immunity from reporters' claims for first-amendment violation and assault and remanded for trial, finding multiple video streams supported reporters' version of events and that officer had not shown that his conduct did not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights.
■ Romag Fasteners v. Fossil, 140 S. Ct. 1492 (2020). The Firm authored an amicus brief filed in US Supreme Court on behalf of the American Intellectual Property Law Association in support of neither party, urging the Court to hold that willfulness is not a prerequisite to an accounting of profits for a violation of Section 35 (a) of the Lanham Act; the Court's opinion closely tracks the position we advocated.
■ Hayat Muse v. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development - No. A20-1330 (Minn. Ct. App. Dec. 7, 2020). In pro bono representation of nonprofit client Youthprise and a group of Minnesota high school students, the Firm successfully challenged state's position that high school students in Minnesota are not eligible for federal unemployment benefits under the CARES Act. The ruling makes millions of dollars in federal financial assistance available to thousands of high school students and lowincome families that depend on their teenagers' wages to help make ends meet. Additional information available on Lathrop GPM press release.
■ Kansas City Area Transportation Authority v. Donovan, 601 S.W.3d 262 (Mo. App. 2020). The Firm obtained summary judgment and appellate affirmance in favor of bi-state public transit agency establishing the agency's fee simple ownership of land conveyed by a 1901 Deed of Right of Ways, currently used as a public walking trail, and on the path of a potential new streetcar line. The appellate court accepted the ownership claim based on extensive
research of 19 th and 20 th century land records and rejected argument that abutting landowner had acquired title by adverse possession.
■ Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Mitchell, 925 F.3d 236 (5 th Cir. 2019). Representing three men who had been wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for several decades, the Firm persuaded the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi to hold, and the Fifth Circuit to affirm, that insurers cannot utilize common law "coverage theories" (e.g., "first manifestation" or "first exposure" or "continuous trigger" theories) to sidestep the plain language governing their policies. Both courts found the insurers liable under their policies for civil rights violations resulting in wrongful convictions. For more information, see June 3, 2019, AmLaw Litigation Daily article.
■ Kodiak Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. v. Burr, 932 F.3d 1125 (8 th Cir. 2019). The Firm successfully represented an energy company in North Dakota federal court, and on appeal to the 8 th Circuit, in obtaining and upholding an injunction against a tribal court lawsuit for alleged breach of a federal mineral lease. The 8 th Circuit found the tribal court lacked jurisdiction because the energy company was not a member of the tribe and because tribal courts have no power to adjudicate a federal contract claim.
■ Roman Catholic Bishop of San Bernardino v. Doe, No. 04-19-00153-CV, 2019 WL 3307858 (Tex. App.—San Antonio [14th Dist.] July 25, 2019). On appeal from a trial court's refusal to dismiss the case for lack of personal jurisdiction, the Firm obtained complete dismissal of a California diocese and its bishop in a multiparty personal injury lawsuit in Texas. The Court of Appeals held there was no personal jurisdiction because the defendants lacked sufficient minimum contacts with Texas. For example, defendants did not operate in Texas, did not control the student or the seminary allegedly involved in the misconduct at issue, and had no notice or knowledge of the alleged misconduct.
■ Cruz-Guzman v. State, 916 N.W.2d 1 (Minn. 2018). The Firm represented plaintiffs in landmark education case before the Minnesota Supreme Court, alleging the State of Minnesota had failed to provide a constitutionally adequate education in Minneapolis and Saint Paul public schools because of racial and socioeconomic segregation. After the Minnesota Court of Appeals dismissed the lawsuit on justiciability grounds, the Minnesota Supreme Court reversed that dismissal and reinstated plaintiffs' lawsuit.
■ Rochester City Lines, Co. v. City of Rochester, 913 N.W. 2d 443 (Minn. 2018) and Rochester City Lines, Co. v. City of Rochester, 868 N.W. 2d 655 (Minn. 2015). The Firm successfully represented winning bidder for city bus service in related Supreme Court cases reviewing procurement process for municipal bus contract. After a losing bidder challenged two consecutive public transportation contracts, the Minnesota Supreme Court rejected an argument that unproven allegations of bias in an earlier procurement process could create an appearance of bias in the subsequent procurement process. Both decisions helped shape the procedure and standard of review for challenges to best-value procurement processes in Minnesota.
■ State ex rel. Church & Dwight Co. v. Collins and State ex rel. Focus Workforce Management, Inc., et al. v. Collins, 543 S.W.3d 22 (Mo. 2018). After the trial court refused to dismiss employment discrimination claims filed one day late against the Firm's clients, the Firm obtained a discretionary writ of prohibition placing two important restrictions on the ability of a plaintiff to bring suit under the Missouri Human Rights Act (MHRA). First, the Missouri Supreme Court made clear that the MHRA's 90-day window for filing a private cause of action is to be strictly enforced. Second, the Court rejected the plaintiff's effort to circumvent the deadline for statutory claims under the MHRA by alleging common law claims. Instead, the court held that that the private remedy available under the MHRA is the sole remedy for plaintiffs to whom the Act applies. Additional information available on Lathrop GPM news release.
■ Smith v. The Humane Society of the United States, 519 S.W.3d 789 (Mo. 2017). The Firm successfully defended national animal rights organization against claims for defamation and false light invasion of privacy for statements made as part of campaign to pass a state-wide ballot initiative known as the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. The Humane Society included plaintiff's business in a campaign publication entitled "Missouri's Dirty Dozen: A report on some of the worst puppy mills in Missouri." The Missouri Supreme Court found the alleged defamatory statements were constitutionally protected statements of opinion that could not be defamatory as a matter of law and that plaintiff's insufficient defamation claims could not be repackaged as false-light claims.
■ F.M. Doe v. Popravak, 55 Kan.App.2d 1 (Kan. Ct. App. 2017). The Firm served as lead appellate counsel in a multi-defendant appeal that affirmed a trial court's ruling that the statute of repose barred an adult plaintiff's claims for injuries allegedly sustained many years earlier as a minor.
■ Concaten, Inc. v. AmeriTrak Fleet Solutions, 669 Fed. Appx. 571 (Fed. Cir. Oct. 11, 2016). Representing a client accused of infringing five patents related to the tracking and coordination of snow plow fleets, the Firm obtained judgment on the pleadings based on the argument that the plaintiff's patents were directed at abstract ideas that were ineligible subject matter for a patent. The Federal Circuit agreed, affirming the invalidation of the plaintiff's patents.
■ Chavez v. Cedar Fair, 450 S.W.3d 291 (Mo. 2014). After adverse rulings by the trial court and an intermediate appellate court, the Firm persuaded the Missouri Supreme Court to review and reverse a six-figure jury verdict in favor of an amusement park guest who was injured on a water slide. The Supreme Court held that the trial court instructed the jury on the wrong standard of care and erroneously refused to allow the jury to consider the plaintiff's comparative fault.
■ McGuire v. Kenoma, LLC, 447 S.W.3d 659 (Mo. 2014). After granting the Firm's request for discretionary transfer to review adverse lower court decisions, the Missouri Supreme Court reexamined state law and reversed a judgment that retroactively awarded six-figures in post-judgment interest to a group of plaintiffs claiming that a hog farm was a nuisance. Based on comprehensive briefing and analysis by the Firm, the Supreme Court also abrogated more than a dozen Missouri cases because they incorrectly stated or applied the law. | 0.7 | high | 6 | 2,570 | [
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91f4d972-0193-482d-a24f-31de9aef6062 | **Definition**: Solid-state physics describes | science | historical_context | **Definition**: Solid-state physics describes the physical properties of solid materials, specifically focusing on the behavior of electrons within those materials. Mathematically, it’s the study of the macroscopic properties of solids – electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, magnetism – arising from the collective quantum mechanical behavior of electrons in a crystalline lattice. **Intuitive Explanation**: Imagine a vast, perfectly ordered arrangement of atoms – a crystal. Electrons aren’t just randomly bouncing around; they’re constantly interacting with the positively charged atomic nuclei. This interaction creates a periodic potential energy landscape. Think of it like a repeating wave. Electrons, being quantum mechanical particles, can only exist in specific energy states corresponding to these standing waves. These allowed energy levels and the way electrons transition between them determine a material’s properties. It’s not about individual electrons, but the *collective* behavior of many electrons. **Purpose**: Solid-state physics is fundamentally about understanding *why* materials behave the way they do. This understanding is crucial for designing and optimizing materials for countless applications, from electronics and energy storage to advanced materials science. It’s the bedrock of modern technology. **Mechanism**: The core mechanism is the band theory of solids. Instead of discrete energy levels, the interactions within the crystal lattice lead to the formation of energy bands – ranges of allowed energy levels. Electrons occupy these bands. The most important band for electrical conductivity is the conduction band, where electrons can move freely. The gap between the highest filled band and the lowest empty band is the band gap; its size dictates whether a material is a conductor, insulator, or semiconductor. **Examples**: - **Example 1 (Conduction):** Copper has a small band gap. This means electrons can easily transition between energy levels within the conduction band. When a voltage is applied, these electrons readily move, resulting in high electrical conductivity – why copper wires conduct electricity so well. Reasoning: Small band gap = easy electron excitation = high conductivity. - **Example 2 (Semiconductor):** Silicon has a moderate band gap. At room temperature, some electrons gain enough thermal energy to jump into the conduction band, creating mobile charge carriers. Doping silicon with impurities (like phosphorus) introduces extra electrons, increasing conductivity. Reasoning: Moderate band gap + thermal excitation + doping = controllable conductivity. **Common Misconceptions**: A frequent misconception is that electrons simply “slide” through the crystal lattice like billiard balls. This ignores the quantum mechanical nature of electron behavior and the periodic potential. Another is assuming all solids behave identically. The crystal structure and the types of atoms present dramatically influence the electronic properties. **Connections**: Solid-state physics builds directly upon statistical mechanics (understanding the average behavior of many particles) and quantum mechanics (describing the behavior of individual particles). Mastering these prerequisites is essential. It then forms the foundation for semiconductor physics – the study of materials like silicon and germanium used in transistors – and ultimately, superconductivity – the study of materials with zero electrical resistance. | 0.6 | medium | 5 | 614 | [
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c3b1d413-f5ad-49fc-a0fe-dd48d369ed5a | What Prebiotics Probiotics Diabetes | life_skills | research_summary | What Prebiotics and Probiotics Have to Do With Diabetes
Researchers have been studying the benefits of the microbes in our digestive tract for decades. I think most of us have heard about the benefits of taking a probiotic, and let’s not forget all the yogurt ads that tout the benefits that their product carries.
But probiotics and prebiotics have now come to light as something that may play into the development of type 1 diabetes.
The probiotic evidence is that the flora (gut microbiota) of the intestinal tract helps to regulate the body’s immune system, but little has been done to qualify the use of prebiotics and probiotics as helpful to someone with an autoimmune disease, until recently.
In January, a study out of the Netherlands was released that showed a direct relationship between gut microbiota and diabetes. Researchers saw that kids with type 1 diabetes had abnormal gut flora, versus kids without diabetes.
The primary difference, between kids with diabetes and kids without, was in their microbiota composition. Kids with beta cell autoimmunity, meaning type 1 diabetes, had low levels of particular microbes. Two specific microbiota were lacking in children with type 1: lactic acid-producing and butyric acid-producing bacteria. This seems to be a potential marker for kids with diabetes.
While the study was very small, just 18 children, it caught everyone’s attention due to the clarity of the results, and it circled back to a 2006 study from New York Academy of Sciences where they looked at food that specifically helped those with type 1 diabetes. Foods containing rich sources of prebiotics and probiotics showed significant benefits in children with diabetes.
To clarify, prebiotics are special forms of dietary fiber, and probiotics are living bacteria that are intended to help keep the colon healthy. In a nutshell, prebiotics nourish the probiotic bacteria that are needed to keep your digestive tract healthy.
Prebiotics are often more abundant in fermented foods, but that's not the only place to find them. Here is a list of foods that contain higher quantities of prebiotics:
Some foods have prebiotics added, these include:
Yogurt (becareful of the sugar content)
Prebiotics are helpful not only to probiotics, but our overall health by helping the body absorb minerals, lower blood cholesterol, and some even help inhibit certain pathogenes, like listeria. A healthy amount of prebiotics ranges from 5 to 15 grams per day.
Is there a prebiotic/probiotic in one pill, you ask? Yes, there is! It’s called a synbiotic. Synbiotics are a supplement that contain both prebiotics and probiotics. It's a good idea to look into taking a synbiotic, since probiotics and prebiotics work in tandem.
If you are thinking about taking a pre- and pro-biotic, or adding a probiotic to your child's diet, talk with your doctor. Many doctors are on board with probiotics, but they may not know a whole lot about which ones are the trusted source. You want to look for those that are the best in live cultures, haven't been sitting in the store too long, and, typically, probiotics need a cool dark place to live. I usually store mine in the refrigerator. And, like insulin, they have a shelf life of about 30 days.
While prebiotics and probiotics won't cure diabetes, it probably will help with many other aspects of living healthier and it will definitely help give you a happy tummy. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 721 | [
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25e1e823-12c5-4953-9bc5-bb8ccab102fe | Applied Fields Thesis Statement | language_arts | technical_documentation | # Applied Fields Thesis Statement API Documentation (Business Focus) Welcome, aspiring researcher! Are you looking to validate, discover, or manage compelling thesis statements relevant to the fast-paced world of **Business Applications**? This API is your gateway to exploring the core arguments driving contemporary business research. Before we dive into the endpoints, what is the **primary goal** you have for interacting with these thesis statements? Are you seeking inspiration, verifying existing claims, or perhaps cataloging successful research arguments? Understanding your initial intent will guide your exploration of these tools. --- ## 1. API Overview & Authentication This API manages a curated collection of high-impact thesis statements specifically tailored for applied business fields (e.g., Operations Management, Marketing Strategy, Financial Technology). ### Base URL What base path do you anticipate using to address these resources? For consistency, we'll use: `https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business` ### Authentication: How do we ensure only authorized users access these critical insights? Accessing valuable research concepts requires proper identification. We employ **Bearer Token Authentication** via the `Authorization` header. **Investigation Point:** If you have a secret key provided by our team, where should you place it so the server recognizes you on every request? | Header Name | Value Format | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `Authorization` | `Bearer YOUR_SECRET_API_KEY` | Your unique access token. | **Security Note:** What happens if you forget this header? (Hint: Check the Error Handling section!) --- ## 2. Endpoints: Discovering Business Arguments How do we structure our requests to retrieve exactly what we need? We've defined clear paths for listing, retrieving details, and searching. ### 2.1. List All Thesis Statements If you want a broad overview of the available research directions, which HTTP method signals your intent to **retrieve a collection**? | Method | Path | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `GET` | `/thesis_statements` | Retrieves a paginated list of all business thesis statements. | #### Parameters (Query) When listing items, how can we narrow down the results without hitting the server too hard? We offer pagination and filtering. | Name | Type | Description | Example Value | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `limit` | integer | How many results should be returned per page? (Max: 100) | `25` | | `offset` | integer | Where in the sequence should we start returning results? | `50` | | `field` | string | Filter by a specific sub-field (e.g., 'FinTech', 'SupplyChain'). | `MarketingStrategy` | #### Response (200 OK) What structure best represents a list containing summaries of multiple concepts? An array, naturally! ```json { "total": 154, "limit": 25, "offset": 0, "data": [ { "id": "BUS-TS-001A", "title": "The Impact of Algorithmic Bias on Consumer Trust in Digital Lending Platforms.", "field": "FinTech", "relevance_score": 0.92 }, { "id": "BUS-TS-002B", "title": "Optimizing Last-Mile Logistics via Dynamic Route Planning in Urban Environments.", "field": "OperationsManagement", "relevance_score": 0.88 } // ... more statements ] } ``` ### 2.2. Retrieve a Specific Thesis Statement Once you find an interesting ID (like `BUS-TS-001A`), how do you ask the server for the *full depth* of that specific argument? | Method | Path | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `GET` | `/thesis_statements/{thesis_id}` | Retrieves the detailed content for a single thesis statement. | #### Path Parameters | Name | Type | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `thesis_id` | string | The unique identifier for the thesis statement. | #### Response (200 OK) What additional details might a researcher need beyond the title? Perhaps the supporting methodology or key variables! ```json { "id": "BUS-TS-001A", "title": "The Impact of Algorithmic Bias on Consumer Trust in Digital Lending Platforms.", "field": "FinTech", "sub_field": "RiskAssessment", "abstract_summary": "Examines how perceived fairness in AI-driven credit scoring models directly correlates with user adoption rates in peer-to-peer lending.", "keywords": ["AI", "Trust", "Lending", "Bias"], "relevance_score": 0.92, "created_at": "2024-05-15T10:00:00Z" } ``` ### 2.3. Submit a New Thesis Statement (Hypothetical Creation) If you are a validated partner wishing to contribute a novel, high-potential thesis statement to our repository, which method signifies **creation**? | Method | Path | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `POST` | `/thesis_statements` | Submits a new, validated thesis statement for inclusion. | #### Request Body (Application/JSON) What are the essential components needed to define a new research argument? | Field | Type | Required | Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `title` | string | Yes | The core statement being argued. | | `field` | string | Yes | The primary business domain. | | `abstract_summary` | string | Yes | A brief, compelling summary. | | `keywords` | array of strings | No | Tags for discoverability. | **Example Request Body:** ```json { "title": "Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) present superior organizational resilience compared to traditional hierarchical structures.", "field": "OrganizationalTheory", "abstract_summary": "This research compares failure rates and adaptability across governance models in response to market shocks.", "keywords": ["DAO", "Governance", "Resilience", "Blockchain"] } ``` #### Response (201 Created) If successful, what status code confirms creation, and what should the response include? (Hint: Where can the user find the newly assigned ID?) ```json { "message": "Thesis statement submitted successfully for review.", "new_id": "BUS-TS-999Z", "location": "/v1/business/thesis_statements/BUS-TS-999Z" } ``` --- ## 3. Error Handling & Rate Limiting What happens when things go wrong? A good API always tells you *why* it failed, not just *that* it failed. ### Common Status Codes | Code | Meaning | Insight Question | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | `400 Bad Request` | Your request payload or parameters were malformed. | Did you forget a required field in your `POST` request? | | `401 Unauthorized` | Authentication failed. | Did you forget the `Authorization` header, or has your token expired? | | `404 Not Found` | The requested resource ID doesn't exist. | Are you sure the `thesis_id` you requested is correct? | | `429 Too Many Requests` | You are exceeding the allowed request volume. | Have you implemented exponential backoff in your calling script? | | `500 Internal Server Error`| Something unexpected happened on our side. | How should your application react when the server itself has an issue? | **Example Error Response (400 Bad Request):** ```json { "error_code": "INVALID_INPUT", "message": "Validation failed for the request body.", "details": [ { "field": "title", "issue": "Title must be between 10 and 200 characters." } ] } ``` ### Rate Limiting To maintain service quality for all researchers, we enforce a limit. **Guideline:** You are permitted **500 requests per 5 minutes** per API key. **Discovery Question:** If you receive a `429` response, what HTTP header tells you precisely *when* you are allowed to try again? (Look for the `Retry-After` header in the response metadata.) --- ## 4. Code Samples: Putting Theory into Practice How do you interact with these endpoints using tools you already know? Let's explore how to fetch the details for thesis statement `BUS-TS-001A`. ### 4.1. cURL (Command Line Interface) If you are quickly testing the API directly from your terminal, how would you structure the call, ensuring your secret key is passed correctly? ```bash # Remember to replace YOUR_SECRET_API_KEY API_KEY="YOUR_SECRET_API_KEY" THESIS_ID="BUS-TS-001A" curl -X GET "https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business/thesis_statements/${THESIS_ID}" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer ${API_KEY}" \ -H "Accept: application/json" ``` ### 4.2. Python (Using the `requests` library) For robust integration within a larger Python application, how do we manage headers and error checking cleanly? ```python import requests import json API_KEY = "YOUR_SECRET_API_KEY" BASE_URL = "https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business" THESIS_ID = "BUS-TS-001A" headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}", "Accept": "application/json" } try: response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/thesis_statements/{THESIS_ID}", headers=headers) response.raise_for_status() # Raises an HTTPError for bad responses (4xx or 5xx) thesis_data = response.json() print(f"Successfully retrieved: {thesis_data['title']}") print(f"Keywords: {', '.join(thesis_data['keywords'])}") except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as errh: print(f"Http Error occurred: {errh}") # What specific error code did we receive? print(f"Response Content: {response.text}") except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e: print(f"An error occurred during the request: {e}") ``` ### 4.3. JavaScript (Using `fetch` in Node.js or Browser) When building a modern web application, the `fetch` API is standard. How do we ensure the asynchronous nature of the request handles the response correctly? ```javascript const API_KEY = "YOUR_SECRET_API_KEY"; const THESIS_ID = "BUS-TS-001A"; const URL = `https://api.appliedfields.com/v1/business/thesis_statements/${THESIS_ID}`; async function fetchThesisStatement() { try { const response = await fetch(URL, { method: 'GET', headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`, 'Accept': 'application/json' } }); if (!response.ok) { // If the response is not 2xx, we manually throw an error based on status const errorBody = await response.json(); throw new Error(`API Error ${response.status}: ${errorBody.message || response.statusText}`); } const data = await response.json(); console.log(`Title: ${data.title}`); console.log(`Relevance Score: ${data.relevance_score}`); } catch (error) { console.error("Failed to fetch data:", error.message); // If we got a 404, what would the user need to do next? } } fetchThesisStatement(); ``` | 0.7 | high | 6 | 2,605 | [
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1c72bdcc-89a9-468c-80d8-1e46b9572935 | Zero waste protects environment | interdisciplinary | practical_application | Zero waste protects the environment, benefits communities and supports a strong local economy.
ZERO WASTE BENEFITS OUR ENVIRONMENT
Zero waste reduces our climate impact.
Reducing, reusing and recycling can be a key part of a climate change strategy to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
The U.S. EPA has estimated roughly 42% of all greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the production and use of goods, including food, products and packaging.3 Reducing, reusing and recycling will conserve that energy and dramatically reduce our carbon emissions.
Zero waste conserves resources and minimizes pollution.
Our current culture of consumption is unsustainable. Extracting raw materials from natural spaces requires large amounts of energy and causes pollution, whether it is logging a forest, mining for minerals or drilling for oil. Processing these materials requires more energy and causes more pollution. Once they’re used, the goods are simply dumped in a landfill or destroyed in an incinerator.
In contrast, a zero waste approach conserves natural resources and reduces pollution from extraction, manufacturing and disposal. Reducing and reusing means fewer products are made, as people buy less and as products are made to last. Recycling keeps waste out of landfills and incinerators and provides manufacturers with recycled instead of raw materials to make new goods.
ZERO WASTE BENEFITS OUR COMMUNITIES
Zero waste promotes social equity and builds community.
A zero waste approach can build community capacity, support marginalized communities and protect community health.
Community groups, and small businesses have solutions to help Toronto get to zero waste while also building community capacity and addressing social inequities.
Community projects focused on reuse help redistribute useful goods to those in need, from leftover food donated to shelters, to furniture for refugees, to business clothing for those entering the job market.
Community-based zero waste strategies like composting at a community garden, tool sharing and skills sharing to reuse and repair, build capacity to reduce waste and costs.
A zero waste strategy needs to ensure everyone has access to tools to reduce, reuse and recycle waste where they live, work and play. This allows everyone to participate in protecting our environment.
A zero waste approach also protects the health of communities by reducing pollution in the air, water and soil by keeping toxics and waste out of landfills and incinerators.
ZERO WASTE BENEFITS OUR ECONOMY
Zero waste supports a local circular economy and creates jobs
A zero waste Toronto builds a circular economy, where one person’s “waste” is a resource for something new. This creates good, green jobs as resources are endlessly recirculated through our economy instead of being used once and then disposed or destroyed.
Ontario’s recycling, composting and diversion programs create 10 times more jobs than disposal.6 Green jobs are created in collecting and handling recyclable materials and processing at local recyclers, waste depots and compost facilities.
Reducing and reusing materials create even more jobs in rental and sharing businesses (e.g. car-sharing, tool rental), repair and tailoring, and reuse businesses. Local money is spent on local jobs and stays within the community instead of leaving the community to buy imported products.
Zero waste needs businesses to play a key role
Right now, Torontonians pay most of the costs of our waste system through waste fees. The Province’s new Waste Free Ontario Strategy sets a clear “zero waste” goal and new rules that will build a circular economy and eliminate waste. A key part of this is requiring companies that import or make products and packaging take responsibility for the waste from those products. Called ‘extended producer responsibility’, this gives companies an incentive to reduce packaging, and make their products more durable, or easier to recycle. This will drive innovation for a circular resource economy and save residents money.
On Blue Bin materials alone, extended producer responsibility will save the City of Toronto up to $30 Million each year on collecting, sorting and processing materials. | 0.65 | medium | 5 | 818 | [
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ef541806-3c6f-400d-9e33-83fc781a63a9 | Springtime best time year | technology | historical_context | Springtime is the best time of year for raising baby chicks because temperatures are warming up, so it’s a good time to collect eggs for incubation and hatch the baby chicks yourself. But, it’s important to start with proper egg collection and storing techniques to insure high hatch rates and healthy chicks.
Collecting the Eggs
Chicken egg incubation temperature and humidity are also ideal for the growth of bacteria; so it’s essential that eggs collected for hatching are clean. However, hatching eggs ideally should not be washed, as this removes the protective egg bloom (see Egg Bloom). The egg bloom protects the egg from both bacteria and moisture loss. We made the mistake of washing the first eggs we collected for hatching; and predictably, none of them hatched. If bacteria enter the egg, they can cause it to rot, and in the worst case, explode during incubation (thereby contaminating the remaining incubating eggs). Promote clean eggs by making sure nest boxes are clean (clean them out and add fresh litter prior to collecting hatching eggs), and by collecting the eggs several times daily. In addition to selecting only the cleanest eggs, select only eggs that are the “norm” in shape, size, and color for the breed that you’re hatching. Eliminate any eggs that are strangely shaped; or that have wrinkled, abnormal, or cracked shells. Double yolks rarely hatch, so eliminate possible double yolks. Remove small eggs laid by pullets or older hens as these typically produce smaller, less vigorous chicks.
Storing the Eggs
It’s natural for a hen to collect eggs for several days before going broody, so we can copy nature and collect eggs for several days before starting the incubation process too. Hatching eggs should ideally be stored out of sunlight as close to 55°F as possible; and humidity should be low enough that the eggs don’t mold but high enough that moisture doesn’t evaporate from the eggs (don’t refrigerate them). Even under optimal conditions, egg hatchability begins to drop after 6 days – although it’s said that storage time can be increased up to three weeks by wrapping eggs in plastic wrap (we haven’t tried this). Eggs should be stored in clean, unused (don’t transmit bacteria from any old eggs) egg cartons. The eggs should be placed in the carton with the large end up (small end down) to keep the yolk centered within the white. If storing the eggs for longer than six days, alternate slightly elevating the end of the egg carton each day to keep the yolks from sticking to the inside of the shell. After six days, hatchability begins to decrease and it will take slightly longer for the eggs to hatch. Save only the best eggs for hatching and store them carefully; if all goes well, these will be your new flock additions! | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 580 | [
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9da1c9f5-1308-4eb3-b43b-edf5a9445675 | female condom, like male | technology | tutorial | The female condom, like the male condom, is a barrier device used for birth control .
Condoms for women
The female condom protects against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV . However, it is not thought to be as effective for protecting against STDs as the male condom.
The female condom is made of a thin, strong plastic called polyurethane. It fits inside the vagina .
The condom has a ring on each end. The ring that is placed inside the vagina fits over the cervix , covering it with the protective rubber material. The other ring, which is open, rests outside of the vagina and covers the vulva .
HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT?
The female condom is estimated to be between 75% and 82% effective. The reasons for failure are the same as those for the male condom:
- A rip or tear in a condom (can be made before or during intercourse)
- Delayed placement of a condom in the vagina (penis comes into contact with vagina before condom is in place)
- Failure to use a condom during each act of intercourse
- Rarely, failure due to manufacturing defects
- Spilling of semen from a condom while removing it
- Condoms are available without a prescription, and they are fairly inexpensive (though more expensive than male condoms).
- Currently, you can buy female condoms at most drugstores. They are also available at most sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) clinics or family planning clinics.
- Some planning may be needed to have a condom handy at the time of intercourse. However, they may be inserted up to 8 hours before intercourse. You may also make inserting the condom part of your lovemaking.
- Can be used during menstruation or pregnancy, or after recent childbirth.
- Eliminates the woman's concern that the man won't wear a condom. She can protect herself from pregnancy and STDs without relying on the male condom.
- Protects against pregnancy and STDs.
- Friction of the condom may reduce clitoral stimulation and lubrication, making intercourse less enjoyable or even uncomfortable (using the provided lubricant may relieve this problem).
- Irritation and allergic reactions may occur.
- The condom may make noise (using the lubricant may relieve this problem).
- There is no direct contact between the penis and the vagina.
- The woman is not aware of warm fluid entering her body (important to some women, not to others).
HOW TO USE A FEMALE CONDOM
- Find the inner ring of the condom, and hold it between your thumb and middle finger.
- Squeeze the ring together and insert it as far as possible into the vagina, making sure that the inner ring is past the pubic bone.
- Leave the outer ring outside of the vagina.
- Make sure that the condom has not become twisted.
- Before intercourse, and during it if needed, put a couple of drops of water-based lubricant on the penis.
- After intercourse, and before standing up, squeeze and twist the outer ring to make sure the semen stays inside, and remove the condom by pulling gently. Use it only once.
DISPOSING OF FEMALE CONDOMS
You should always throw condoms in the trash. Do not flush a female condom down the toilet. It is likely to clog the plumbing.
- Be careful not to tear condoms with sharp fingernails or jewelry.
- Do not use a female condom and a male condom at the same time. Friction between them can cause them to bunch up or tear.
- Do not use a petroleum-based substance such as Vaseline as a lubricant. These substances break down latex.
- If a condom tears or breaks, the outer ring is pushed up inside the vagina, or the condom bunches up inside the vagina during intercourse, remove it and insert another condom right away.
- Make sure condoms are available and convenient. If there are no condoms handy at the time of a sexual encounter, you may be tempted to have intercourse without one.
- Remove tampons before inserting the condom.
- When you remove the condom after intercourse, and you notice that it is torn or broken, some sperm may have spilled inside the vagina, increasing your risk of becoming pregnant. Contact your health care provider or pharmacy for information about emergency contraception.
- Use each condom only once.
|Review Date: 2/19/2008|
Reviewed By: Peter Chen, MD, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-
A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. | 0.65 | medium | 3 | 1,085 | [
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3950eb06-7be0-4bd1-901c-4fb87c5268ac | sitting garden while back | science | creative_writing | I was sitting in the garden a while back enjoying the weather and discussing politics with a group of family and friends when the subject of a piece in a well-known newspaper came up and my niece said to my mother: “Sorry, Nan, I don’t EVER want to read an article in the Daily M***, I rather read anything…anything …even a history of hosepipes” So to make sure she always has an alternative here it is!
There is as yet no definitive history of hosepipe, [no surprise there really] or any more than a couple of lines in any garden history book so if anyone out there is looking for an unusual PhD topic here’s your big chance…until then you’ll have to make do with this!
As usual it all supposed to have begun with the Greeks. The internet is full of stories of Apollodorus, who is said to have attached one end of an ox’s intestine to a bladder filled with water. Pressing the bladder forced the water through the ox-gut and could be directed “to high places exposed to fiery darts.” Leaving aside the unlikelihood of that being terribly effective and that I can’t find a translation of that – or any image – would allow me to feel comfortable with verifying this tale, the real story of hosepipe begins in late 17thc Amsterdam with a Dutch painter and engraver named Jan van der Heyden.
Dutch painter & hosepipe sounds an equally unlikely connection but Jan also turned his hand to engineering, and with his brother Nicholas who was a hydraulics engineer [a very important occupation in a country in permanent need of drainage and flood control] he improved both street lighting and fire fighting in the city. This included trying to find a way of improving water supply at fires. Incredible though it might sound they made a tube out of leather relying on tight sewing to hold it together, and with brass fittings to allow sections of tube to be joined up. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t a complete success! The pipes leaked and the stitching burst under pressure and of course the tubes were heavy and incredibly cumbersome as well as being ineffective. Back to the drawing board!
Attempt 2 in 1698 used another Dutch speciality, canvas sailcloth. As you can imagine it too has problems! It needs to be sealed to make it thoroughly waterproofed and a range of methods were used to try and do that, usually with a mix of oils and other substances. In the 18thc attempts were made to use other textiles such as linen and hemp but with the same problem and as late as the mid-19thc patents were still being taken out for techniques to make canvas etc impermeable. These days although textile hose is still available in many parts of the world it’s only in highly refined versions for firefighting and industrial uses.
The scene now switches to Philadelphia where in 1808 some firefighters tried to improve on this basic leather tubing system. Instead of stitches they used 20-30 metal rivets per foot (65-100 rivets per meter) to try and eliminate leaks. Despite the enormously heavy weight – a standard 50m length weighed 36kg – without any water in it – and the fact that it needed constant oiling to keep it pliable and to prevent it cracking it was more successful and the idea was patented in 1817, and continued to be used right through until the 1870s.
What everyone had overlooked that there had been two potential alternative materials available to replace leather and both had long been known about in the west.
The first had been known about to the indigenous people of central and south America, for over 3000 years was seen by Hernando Cortes during the conquest of Mexico in 1519, but, like almost all of the indigenous knowledge was generally ignored by the Spanish. The material was a form of latex and had been used for all sorts of purposes including waterproofing. Even later when its potential was better understood the latex could not easily be transported. It wasn’t until 1761 that someone had the bright idea of dissolving it in turpentine and shipping back to Europe as a solution. It was the great English chemist Joseph Priestly who, in 1770, coined the name we still use for it – “India Rubber” – when he used a piece for rubbing out unwanted lines in a drawing.
India Rubber was soon widely used as a sealant and waterproofing agent. In about 1819 a London coach builder named Thomas Hancock began experimenting with rubber to laminate fabric and make waterproofing for his coaches. He soon branched out and patented rubber-treated gloves and shoes and then a machine for chopping up leftover rubber so that it could be re-used. Hancock was granted a total of ’16 patents‘ relating to rubber between 1820 and 1847.
But others were experimenting too including .a certain Charles Mackintosh who had also patented a method of waterproofing by dissolving rubber using coal waste, and discovered that you could spread it thinly on fabric and make rain-resistant clothes. . Eventually, to cut a long story short Hancock and Mackintosh joined forces and business boomed
The patent granted to Hancock in 1824 was effectively for an artificial replacement for leather. Later patents improved this and one of things he began to manufacture was flexible pipe capable of carrying liquids. This was used first in breweries and then adopted by The Norwich Union Insurance company for use on their fire engines instead of leather. But it wasn’t the perfect solution because untreated rubber gets sticky and melts in hot weather, and when it was used in conjunction with fabric that tended to go mouldy.
Now Hancock had a stroke of luck. While he was experimenting with ways of strengthening the rubber he was sent samples of rubber that had been treated.
They came from Charles Goodyear of Ohio who was also experimenting with ways of hardening rubber sufficiently to solve the problem. He had somehow worked out that if raw rubber was heated with sulphur and lead oxide – a process he named Vulcanisation – this stopped but it remained waterproof and pliable. But he hadn’t cracked the problem entirely. Hancock worked out where Goodyear was going wrong, and and in November 1843 patented the improvements, just a few weeks ahead of Goodyear in the Unite States.
It proved the turning point. Thomas was, for example, the first to use solid rubber tyres on his carriage and soon rubber became part of everyday life.
But there was also a second material’. It too had been long known about in the west. A sample of what was called “the plyable Mazer wood”. was listed inTradescant’s Ark in 1656. However no-one realised its extraordinary properties until 1842, when it was “rediscovered” and “reintroduced” by …….well the choice of ‘discoverer’ or rather ‘introducer to the west’ is yours. [Skip the next para or two if the minutiae of this sounds dull!]
It’s a bit like waiting for a bus and then 3 come along at once and it’s actually impossible to know who was first. In 1854 The Illustrated Magazine of Art began an article about it by saying that “like photography and the new planet, this product seems to have more than one discoverer – Dr William Montgomerie, assistant-surgeon in the Presidency of Singapore, and Mr Thomas Lobb, botanical agent to Messrs Veitch, the well-known florists of Exeter, each claiming the discovery as their own though each was miles distant from, and acting independently of the other.” In fact the magazine overlooked the claims of a third : Jose d’Alameida a Portuguese doctor originally from Macau, but who had moved to the new settlement of Singapore in 1824.
Despite Tradescant’s description of this material it isn’t wood but another latex. Lobb found the tree that produced it on his plant hunting travels in the East Indies, and sent specimens back to Kew, but obviously did not understand its economic potential and showed no further interest. The other two candidates to be the “discoverer” were friends and in early 1843 both of them wrote about it.
Montgomerie sent specimens back to London whilst d’Alameida actually took some there in person and presented them to the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. However, as so often only one gets the credit while the other is overlooked entirely. In this case it is Montgomerie who, being British, obviously got the honour but if you want to see the ins and outs of the debate then it was reported at length in the 1858 Journal of the Society of Arts.
So following tradition here’s the story from Montgomerie’s viewpoint. He is supposed to have seen an unusual handle on a padang – a sort of machete – which “upon inquiry he found it was made of a substance the native called gutta percha.” Gutta is the Malay word for “the gum or juice” of a plant and Percha is the name of the particular tree: The tree was formally named by William Hooker, Director of Kew, in 1847.
Dr Montgomerie forwarded samples to the Asiatic Society of Bengal and to London because he “at once concluded that if procurable in large quantities it would become extremely useful.”
Gutta percha has the same chemical composition as rubber but the way the molecular structure is arranged give it a different set of properties. That means the semi-transparent latex can be rolled very thinly and as it sets, it hardens and becomes extremely tough and dense like wood, so Tradescant can be excused. Its economic importance comes from the fact that when put in hot water it becomes pliable, and in boiling water ductile and capable of being moulded to any shape or form. Crucially too it is impermeable and doesn’t shrink or revert on cooling.
Gutta percha took scientific and industrial circles in London by storm. Several books were written about its discovery and properties. By 1844 within a year of the arrival of samples patents were being taken out for all sorts of of potential uses such as in boot and shoe making, for waterproof clothing and even bookbinding. Charles Hancock, one of Thomas’s brothers used it for making artificial corks for bottles, using a machine devised by yet another brother Walter. That invention came to the attention of Henry Bewley, a soda-water manufacturer in Dublin. Bewley had already devised several uses for gutta percha as well as a tube-making machine. They agreed to work the patent jointly and set set up the Gutta Percha Company. Bewley soon got the upper hand in the business and Charles and Walter set up the rival West Ham Gutta Percha Company. There’s a full account of all this on Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History
Meanwhile Bewley began to manufacture a long list of products including buckets, drinking mugs, lifebuoys, flasks, washing bowls, siphons, carboys, jugs, soles for boots and shoes, and driving bands for machinery …. and tubing. In 1845 the company started making the first reasonably flexible hosepipe.
Gutta percha could be extruded in a range of diameters and to almost any length up to 100 yards, and could be supplied with brass couplings to extend it. But it was still heavy and there was a tendency to crack when dry so it required occasional oiling as well.
Its greatest use came after Michael Faraday suggested it as an electrical insulator. By 1847 Siemens were using it to insulate telegraph cables which opened the way for underwater cables and soon the world’s ocean floors were criss-crossed with submarine telegraph lines protected by gutta percha cladding.
Unfortunately it was so much in demand that it caused an environmental disaster. The local and sustainable methods of tapping the latex were ignored and instead the trees were simply chopped down and left to rot after the first flush of latex had been drained: after all it was just another natural resource to be exploited for imperial gain.
An average 80 foot tall tree yielded only about 3lbs of latex. Between 1845 and 1847 nearly 70,000 trees were cut down on Singapore island alone. In the process the species was almost wiped out on the Malay peninsula.
So… by the mid-1840s we have two kinds of “modern” hose in production, alongside canvas and leather, and a series of complicated business and patent disputes – all too complex to go into. But as far as garden use is concerned we’re still in the realms of the unlikely because extensive use of hosepipe in the garden was only possible once there was an adequate supply of water – which in most cases meant from pressurised water mains. But by a stroke of luck improvements in water supply were also beginning around this time So that gradually gardeners could say goodbye to hand watering from cans or on a larger scale from water barrels.
By the time Great Exhibition of 1851 vulcanized rubber had won the battle of materials for hosepipe. Both the Gutta-Percha Company and its West Ham counterpart exhibited but Thomas Hancock’s nephew James Lyne Hancock who was running the London factory had already specialised in making pipe, tubes and hose in vulcanized rubber … including “Hose-reel with garden-hose attached”.
It took a while to catch on. Indeed, even by the 1870s, one may think it had never been invented because The Journal of Horticulture ran an article on advances in watering methods – such as this “watering apparatus … designed to economise on labour” -and there isn’t even a mention of garden hoses.
But once mains water was more widely available which was increasingly the case from then on its just a question of increasingly sophisticated technology. Nozzles and other jets became standardized around 1830, while the first patent I can see for a sprinkler attachment was issued in 1871, although they don’t become common until after the First World War. Linking sections of hose with brass couplings was copied from fire-fighting equipment where a standard format had been introduced as early as 1816. The current usual method – the snap-on coupling – was only introduced as recently as 1968 by Gardena.
After that the history of hosepipe becomes a bit dull [or do I mean duller?] . Rubber continued to rule until the early 1950s after which it was rapidly unseated by plastic, then lightweight plastic and reinforced kink-proof plastic. until one wouldn’t have thought that there was much else one could do to improve hosepipe. But one would be wrong because in 2011 Michael Berardi invented the X-hose an expandable garden hose -which aimed to solve the problems of weight, kinking and storage. Apparently a 75-foot roll will fit in a small flowerpot. Has anyone tried it? And will it replace what has become the standard?
I wonder what Thomas Hancock would have thought?
For more information on Thomas try his Personal Narrative or the biography of the family The Hancocks of Marlborough by John Loadman & Francis James . | 0.65 | medium | 5 | 3,273 | [
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172c2dba-b454-4b84-a699-a03c5ac7356c | sand swept stretch Afghanistan | social_studies | historical_context | On a sand swept stretch of Afghanistan, a high-ranking Polish general put his country’s mission there into perspective.
He explained to a NATO delegation that Polish troops remind Afghan locals of two things about the mission: They are not Soviets and they know how difficult it is to live under foreign occupation. It is hard to ignore the incomparable price Poland paid during World War II. It was attacked by Germany, invaded by the Soviets, and became home to the notorious Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. After six brutal years, Poles were the victors in war but losers in peace, living for four decades under Soviet repression. Many here will tell you they still have not come to terms with their fate after the war. Seven decades after the start of World War II, the conflict still defines Polish identity and history. September 1, 2009 in Westerplatte, Poland turned out to be a blue sky day even as dignitaries and notably the leaders of Poland, Russia and Germany turned out to remember the dark horrors that so changed their histories. The leaders laid wreaths to honor the ‘Defenders of Westerplatte’, the men who died in the battle that started it all.
iReport.com: Send your World War II stories
Musicians play for peace to mark WWII anniversary
Petition seeks apology for Enigma code-breaker Turing
Leaders mark 70th anniversary of WWII
It was here at this strategic port on the Baltic Sea, Danzig, now Gdansk, that Nazi Germany’s surprise attack on Poland triggered six years of bloodletting, a savage Holocaust and the death of more than 50 million people. The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, called it a war against humanity itself. Tusk also answered critics who felt his country and the world should now move on from World War II. He warned that if anniversaries are not marked and ceremonies not planned, there may be nothing to shield us from the brutality of future wars. But still today the events of the last 70 years have left their mark and fueled some modern day controversies. Send us your war stories Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin tried to appeal directly to the people of Poland in an open letter. He reminded them that at least 27 million Russians died in the conflict but also warned against equating the Soviet Union’s role in World War II with the menace of Hitler’s Nazism. “..exploiting memory, anatomizing history and seeking pretexts for mutual complaints and resentment causes a lot of harm. ” wrote Putin. He backed that up with public comments saying, “If we talk about an objective assessment of history, we should understand that it had no one color. It was varied and there were huge number of mistakes committed by many sides. All these actions, in one way or another, created conditions for the beginning of a large-scale aggression by Nazi Germany.”
Putin was at the heart of a tug-of-war over the war. Some Poles say Stalin was as evil and complicit as Hitler during the war. Russians say that callously overlooks the sacrifice of Russians in defeating Nazism and liberating Europe. In fact, it took German Chancellor Angela Merkel to put their achievement in perspective. She said that a unified, peaceful Europe was a blessing and indeed a miracle. | 0.65 | medium | 4 | 689 | [
"intermediate knowledge"
] | [
"specialized knowledge"
] | [
"technology",
"arts_and_creativity"
] | {
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"depth": 0.55,
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964f26c2-8fc8-4700-889f-70f622bfd0ca | Volume 11, Number 11—November 2005 | interdisciplinary | technical_documentation | Volume 11, Number 11—November 2005
Rift Valley Fever in Small Ruminants, Senegal, 2003
|Surface‡ + Ferlo§||32.3|
|Surface + distance¶ + Ferlo + surface × distance||33.0|
|Surface + distance + surface × distance||33.6|
|Surface + Ferlo + distance||34.5|
|Surface + Ferlo + surface × Ferlo||34.6|
|Surface + Ferlo + distance + surface × Ferlo + surface × distance||35.3|
|Surface + distance + Ferlo + surface × distance +distance × Ferlo||35.7|
|Surface + distance||36.0|
|Distance + Ferlo||36.7|
|Surface + Ferlo + distance + surface × Ferlo||36.7|
|Ferlo + distance + surface + distance × Ferlo||37.1|
|Surface + Ferlo + distance + surface × Ferlo + surface × distance +distance × Ferlo||38.0|
|Distance + Ferlo + distance × Ferlo||39.3|
|Surface + Ferlo + distance + surface × Ferlo + distance × Ferlo||39.3|
|Surface + Ferlo + distance + surface × Ferlo + surface × distance + distance × Ferlo + surface × Ferlo × distance||39.8|
*With the pond as the random effect. N = 610 small ruminants.
†Bayesian information criterion.
‡Surface (hectare) centered on the smallest observed surface (1.6 hectare).
§Location of the pond: in the Ferlo bed (reference category) or outside the Ferlo bed.
¶Distance from the compound to the pond (hectometers) centered on the shortest observed distance (0.6 hectometers).
- Page created: February 17, 2012
- Page last updated: February 17, 2012
- Page last reviewed: February 17, 2012
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
Office of the Director (OD) | 0.5 | low | 4 | 507 | [
"intermediate knowledge"
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1b7597b8-9fd8-447d-9eed-09119d58d6f5 | ```R algebraic_geometry Implementation Description | mathematics | case_study | ```R # algebraic_geometry Implementation # Description: This R package aims to provide fundamental tools for exploring # algebraic geometry concepts, focusing on the arithmetic aspects of polynomial rings # and their properties. It includes functionalities for polynomial manipulation, # ideal generation, and basic Gröbner basis computations, laying the groundwork # for more advanced algebraic geometry research. # --- Core Concepts and Principles --- # # Algebraic geometry is a branch of mathematics that studies geometric objects # defined by polynomial equations. At its heart lies the relationship between # algebraic structures (polynomials and ideals) and geometric structures (varieties). # # This implementation focuses on the *arithmetic* side of algebraic geometry, # which involves the manipulation of polynomials and the understanding of their # properties within polynomial rings. Key concepts include: # # 1. **Polynomial Rings**: The foundational structure. We'll represent polynomials # in one or more variables. For simplicity and tractability in R, we'll # primarily focus on polynomial rings over fields (like rational numbers) # or rings of integers. # # 2. **Ideals**: A key concept in abstract algebra, an ideal is a special subset # of a ring. In algebraic geometry, ideals define geometric varieties. # An ideal I generated by a set of polynomials {f1, f2, ..., fn} consists # of all polynomial combinations: r1*f1 + r2*f2 + ... + rn*fn, where r_i are # polynomials from the ring. # # 3. **Gröbner Bases**: A special, "nice" generating set for an ideal. Gröbner # bases simplify many problems in algebraic geometry, such as determining # if a polynomial belongs to an ideal, solving systems of polynomial # equations, and computing elimination theory. The computation of Gröbner # bases is a cornerstone of computational algebraic geometry. # # 4. **Monomial Ordering**: Crucial for Gröbner basis computation. It's a way # to order the terms (monomials) of a polynomial. Common orderings include # lexicographical (lex), graded lexicographical (grlex), and graded reverse # lexicographical (grevlex). The choice of ordering affects the resulting # Gröbner basis. # # --- Implementation Strategy --- # # Given R's strengths in statistical computing and data analysis, a full-fledged # symbolic computation engine for algebraic geometry is a significant undertaking. # This implementation will focus on demonstrating core arithmetic operations on # polynomials and a simplified approach to ideal manipulation, hinting at # Gröbner basis concepts without a full, optimized implementation of the Buchberger's # algorithm from scratch (which would be highly complex). We'll leverage R's # built-in capabilities where possible and define custom structures for clarity. # # For this complexity level (10/10), we will: # - Define robust polynomial representations. # - Implement polynomial arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication). # - Introduce the concept of monomial ordering. # - Outline the structure for ideal representation and basic operations. # - Discuss the challenges and high-level approach for Gröbner basis computation. # --- Polynomial Representation --- # We can represent polynomials as lists or vectors of coefficients, # along with a way to represent the exponents of the variables. # For simplicity in R, let's consider polynomials in one variable first, # and then discuss extensions to multiple variables. # A polynomial can be represented by its coefficients and the corresponding exponents. # For a polynomial like 3x^2 + 2x - 1, we can think of coefficients [3, 2, -1] # and exponents [2, 1, 0]. # For multiple variables, e.g., 2x^2y + 3xy^2 - 5, we need to track exponents # for each variable. A common way is to use a list of exponents for each term, # e.g., [[2, 1], [1, 2], [0, 0]] for x^2y, xy^2, and the constant term, # with corresponding coefficients [2, 3, -5]. #' @title Represents a polynomial in one or more variables. #' @description This class is a conceptual representation of a polynomial, #' storing its terms (monomials and coefficients). For simplicity, it #' primarily uses a list of lists for terms, where each inner list represents #' a monomial's exponents and the associated coefficient. #' @slot terms A list of lists. Each inner list contains the coefficient #' as the first element, followed by the exponents for each variable. #' For example, `list(list(3, 2, 0), list(2, 1, 0), list(-1, 0, 0))` #' represents 3x^2 + 2x - 1 (assuming variables x, y, where y has exponent 0). #' @slot variables A character vector specifying the variable names in order. #' For example, `c("x", "y")`. #' @exportClass Polynomial setClass("Polynomial", slots = list( terms = "list", variables = "character" )) #' @title Creates a Polynomial object. #' @description A constructor function for the Polynomial class. #' @param coeffs A numeric vector of coefficients. #' @param exponents A list of integer vectors, where each vector represents #' the exponents of a monomial. The length of each exponent vector must match #' the number of variables. #' @param variables A character vector of variable names (e.g., c("x", "y")). #' @return A Polynomial object. #' @examples #' # Represents 3x^2 + 2x - 1 #' p1 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(3, 2, -1), exponents = list(c(2), c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) #' #' # Represents 2x^2y + 3xy^2 - 5 #' p2 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(2, 3, -5), exponents = list(c(2, 1), c(1, 2), c(0, 0)), variables = c("x", "y")) #' @export create_polynomial <- function(coeffs, exponents, variables) { if (!is.numeric(coeffs)) { stop("Coefficients must be numeric.") } if (!is.list(exponents)) { stop("Exponents must be provided as a list.") } if (length(coeffs) != length(exponents)) { stop("Number of coefficients must match the number of exponent sets.") } if (!all(sapply(exponents, is.integer) | sapply(exponents, is.numeric))) { stop("All exponents must be integers or numeric.") } if (length(variables) == 0 && any(sapply(exponents, length) > 0)) { stop("Cannot have exponents for variables if no variables are specified.") } if (length(variables) > 0 && any(sapply(exponents, length) != length(variables))) { stop("Each exponent vector must have a length equal to the number of variables.") } # Ensure terms are sorted by monomial order (e.g., lexicographical) for consistency. # For simplicity here, we'll sort by total degree first, then lexicographically. # A proper implementation would use a defined monomial ordering. sort_key <- function(exp_list) { c(sum(exp_list), exp_list) } sorted_indices <- order(sapply(exponents, sort_key), decreasing = TRUE) terms_list <- vector("list", length(coeffs)) for (i in seq_along(coeffs)) { terms_list[[i]] <- c(coeffs[sorted_indices[i]], exponents[[sorted_indices[i]]]) } new("Polynomial", terms = terms_list, variables = variables) } #' @title Displays a Polynomial object in a human-readable format. #' @description Overrides the default show method for Polynomial objects. #' @param object The Polynomial object to display. #' @examples #' p1 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(3, 2, -1), exponents = list(c(2), c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) #' print(p1) #' #' p2 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(2, 3, -5), exponents = list(c(2, 1), c(1, 2), c(0, 0)), variables = c("x", "y")) #' print(p2) setMethod("show", "Polynomial", function(object) { if (length(object@terms) == 0) { cat("0\n") return() } poly_str <- "" for (i in seq_along(object@terms)) { coeff <- object@terms[[i]][1] exps <- object@terms[[i]][-1] # Skip terms with zero coefficient if (coeff == 0) next # Handle coefficient sign and absolute value if (i > 1 && coeff > 0) { poly_str <- paste0(poly_str, " + ") } else if (coeff < 0) { poly_str <- paste0(poly_str, " - ") } abs_coeff <- abs(coeff) # Add coefficient if it's not 1 or -1, or if it's the constant term if (abs_coeff != 1 || all(exps == 0)) { poly_str <- paste0(poly_str, abs_coeff) } # Add variables and their exponents for (j in seq_along(exps)) { if (exps[j] > 0) { if (abs_coeff != 1 && exps[j] == 1 && all(exps == 0) == FALSE) { # Add '*' if coefficient is not 1 and it's not a constant term poly_str <- paste0(poly_str, "*") } poly_str <- paste0(poly_str, object@variables[j]) if (exps[j] > 1) { poly_str <- paste0(poly_str, "^", exps[j]) } } } } cat(poly_str, "\n") }) # --- Polynomial Arithmetic --- #' @title Adds two Polynomial objects. #' @description Implements polynomial addition. #' @param p1 The first Polynomial object. #' @param p2 The second Polynomial object. #' @return A new Polynomial object representing the sum p1 + p2. #' @examples #' p1 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(3, 2, -1), exponents = list(c(2), c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) #' p2 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(1, -2), exponents = list(c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) #' print(p1 + p2) # Expected: 3x^2 + 0x - 1 + 1x - 2 = 3x^2 - 3 #' #' p3 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(2, 3), exponents = list(c(1, 1), c(0, 0)), variables = c("x", "y")) #' p4 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(1, -2), exponents = list(c(1, 0), c(0, 1)), variables = c("x", "y")) #' print(p3 + p4) # Expected: 2xy + 1x - 2y #' @export setMethod("+", "Polynomial", function(e1, e2) { if (!is(e1, "Polynomial") || !is(e2, "Polynomial")) { stop("Both operands must be Polynomial objects.") } if (!identical(e1@variables, e2@variables)) { stop("Polynomials must have the same variables for addition.") } all_exponents <- unique(c(sapply(e1@terms, `[`, -1), sapply(e2@terms, `[`, -1)), recursive = FALSE) all_exponents <- unique(all_exponents) # Remove duplicates new_coeffs <- numeric(length(all_exponents)) names(new_coeffs) <- apply(do.call(rbind, all_exponents), 1, paste, collapse = ",") # Add terms from p1 for (term in e1@terms) { coeff <- term[1] exp_vec <- term[-1] exp_key <- paste(exp_vec, collapse = ",") if (exp_key %in% names(new_coeffs)) { new_coeffs[exp_key] <- new_coeffs[exp_key] + coeff } else { # This case should ideally not happen if all_exponents is comprehensive, # but as a fallback for unique handling. new_coeffs[exp_key] <- coeff } } # Add terms from p2 for (term in e2@terms) { coeff <- term[1] exp_vec <- term[-1] exp_key <- paste(exp_vec, collapse = ",") if (exp_key %in% names(new_coeffs)) { new_coeffs[exp_key] <- new_coeffs[exp_key] + coeff } else { new_coeffs[exp_key] <- coeff } } # Filter out zero coefficients and prepare for new polynomial final_coeffs <- new_coeffs[new_coeffs != 0] if (length(final_coeffs) == 0) { return(create_polynomial(coeffs = numeric(0), exponents = list(), variables = e1@variables)) } final_exponents <- lapply(names(final_coeffs), function(key) as.integer(strsplit(key, ",")[[1]])) final_coeffs_vec <- as.numeric(final_coeffs) create_polynomial(coeffs = final_coeffs_vec, exponents = final_exponents, variables = e1@variables) }) #' @title Subtracts two Polynomial objects. #' @description Implements polynomial subtraction (p1 - p2). #' @param p1 The first Polynomial object (minuend). #' @param p2 The second Polynomial object (subtrahend). #' @return A new Polynomial object representing the difference p1 - p2. #' @examples #' p1 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(3, 2, -1), exponents = list(c(2), c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) #' p2 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(1, -2), exponents = list(c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) #' print(p1 - p2) # Expected: 3x^2 + 2x - 1 - (1x - 2) = 3x^2 + x + 1 #' @export setMethod("-", "Polynomial", function(e1, e2) { if (!is(e1, "Polynomial") || !is(e2, "Polynomial")) { stop("Both operands must be Polynomial objects.") } # p1 - p2 is equivalent to p1 + (-p2) neg_p2 <- e2 neg_p2@terms <- lapply(e2@terms, function(term) { term[1] <- -term[1] term }) e1 + neg_p2 }) #' @title Multiplies two Polynomial objects. #' @description Implements polynomial multiplication. #' @param p1 The first Polynomial object. #' @param p2 The second Polynomial object. #' @return A new Polynomial object representing the product p1 * p2. #' @examples #' p1 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(3, 2), exponents = list(c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) # 3x + 2 #' p2 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(1, -1), exponents = list(c(1), c(0)), variables = c("x")) # x - 1 #' print(p1 * p2) # Expected: (3x + 2)(x - 1) = 3x^2 - 3x + 2x - 2 = 3x^2 - x - 2 #' #' p3 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(2, 1), exponents = list(c(1, 0), c(0, 1)), variables = c("x", "y")) # 2x + y #' p4 <- create_polynomial(coeffs = c(3, -1), exponents = list(c(0, 1), c(0, 0)), variables = c("x", "y")) # 3y - 1 #' print(p3 * p4) # Expected: (2x + y)(3y - 1) = 6 | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 3,900 | [
"calculus fundamentals",
"algebra"
] | [
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"abstract algebra"
] | [
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7ae51a65-4694-4055-8bc5-bf45dc7fb307 | Please boost your Plan to download papers | interdisciplinary | historical_context | Please boost your Plan to download papers
Religious Studies Cumulative Paper - Essay Example
Author : bergegisselle
Religion and Theology
Pages 8 (2008 words)
Religious Tolerance Thesis Statement. Tolerance between religions has become a necessity after 9/11 when there is talk of clash of civilizations everywhere. It is a challenge in various societies how to maintain tolerance while setting limits to in-tolerance…
For example in all religions it is good to speak truth while it’s bad to cheat, steal, lie or kill fellow human beings. After 9/11 divide between religions has increased manifolds due to pursuing of terrorism by few fundamentalists. It is very important to understand what is meant by religious tolerance, what are its limits, how terrorism and terrorists should be separated by the large Muslim community and so many other related issues. It is also important to have a look at main religions of the world and see their views about violence and tolerance. It is imperative to note that what a religion preaches may not be followed by its follower. In this case whether a religion should be blamed or its followers. All religions trace back their roots to a creator or God. This fact should be a source of harmony or difference between various religions. Historically which religion has remained most peaceful and why?. All these questions need answers however it is not clear whether these answers will settle old questions or create new ones. Outline. The paper will be covered in the following outline:- 1. What is Religious Tolerance and what are its limits. 2. Why Religious Tolerance is important. 3. Is there really a clash of civilizations going on? 4. What are the major religions of the world and what do they say about Religious Tolerance. 5. Is Religious fundamentalism a good thing or bad? 6. ... | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 373 | [
"intermediate knowledge"
] | [
"specialized knowledge"
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3e5a77d6-adea-4572-9b6e-7738873d1595 | 2017 Audi R8 for Sale in Chicago, IL | technology | review_summary | 2017 Audi R8 for Sale in Chicago, IL
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"data structures",
"algorithms basics"
] | [
"architecture patterns"
] | [
"science",
"social_studies"
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56262af5-8a18-458c-8daf-7b0fe7dcffe6 | interface is a generic tunnelling | interdisciplinary | historical_context | interface is a generic tunnelling
pseudo-device for IPv4 and IPv6. It can tunnel IPv over IPv with
behavior mainly based on RFC 4213 IPv6-over-IPv4, for a total of four possible
interface can be created at runtime using the
command or by setting up a
configuration file for
interface must be configured with the
addresses used for the outer header. This can be done by using
command (which uses the
The addresses of the inner header must be configured by using
in the normal way.
The routing table can be used to direct packets toward the
E. Nordmark and
R. Gilligan, Basic Transition
Mechanisms for IPv6 Hosts and Routers, RFC
4213, October 2005.
device first appeared in WIDE hydrangea
supported RFC 3378 EtherIP tunnels
is now handled by etherip(4)
There are many tunnelling protocol specifications, defined differently from each
may not interoperate with peers which
are based on different specifications, and are picky about outer header
fields. For example, you cannot usually use gif
to talk with IPsec devices that use IPsec tunnel mode.
The current code does not check if the ingress address (outer source address)
configured to gif
makes sense. Make sure to
configure an address which belongs to your node. Otherwise, your node will not
be able to receive packets from the peer, and your node will generate packets
with a spoofed source address.
If the outer protocol is IPv6, path MTU discovery for encapsulated packet may
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37567f79-59d5-476d-86a4-e714ce19615a | teacher, absolutely loved celebrating | interdisciplinary | code_implementation | As a teacher, I absolutely loved celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. It was a magical and exciting day for students and teachers alike.
Many teachers celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by decorating the classroom, serving green treats, planning fun activities, wearing green, and doing shamrock crafts. But that gets stale for both teachers and students over time. Plus, as a teacher, I was short on time and resources to create a lesson that gets my students moving, thinking and (most importantly) LEARNING!
How can a teacher surprise students with an unexpected, engaging and educational activity on a holiday?
Because my students loved doing STEM lessons, I decided to create a Leprechaun Trap Challenge. The students had to follow specific steps that would lead them to the most effective trap that they could create. It was great, but materials were lacking. This is why I created the STEM Learning Journals™ – Leprechaun S.T.E.M. Challenge.
Teachers – this is your year to be the unexpected and exciting teacher by getting your students super engaged by incorporating STEM! Your students will complete three exciting Leprechaun themed challenges. Best of all, most of the materials that you will need are common materials that you can find in your classroom or school!
How it Works
Students are challenged to use their creativity while practicing engineering skills (win-win!). To get started, students cut out Lenny the Leprechaun and follow the instructions to make him stand up (which can be used for the STEM challenges).
Next, students create a leprechaun trap that will capture and hold Lenny the Leprechaun. They will prepare their materials, plan out their design, create their trap, reflect on the design of their leprechaun trap, and then make improvements to make their leprechaun trap more effective.
Depending on resources and grade level, you can incorporate technology by encouraging your students to do related research on school-approved websites. You can also require students to do math that is appropriate for them, such as making the trap within a specific size range.
Be the teacher that has their students going home anxiously waiting to tell their parents what they did in your class that day, and coming back to school begging to do the next lesson!
Check out the Really Good Stuff STEM Learning Journals™ – Leprechaun S.T.E.M. Challenge!
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2281104a-753c-42ec-adfa-ae38fd7b9d72 | What is diabetes | science | concept_introduction | What is diabetes? If you’re asking that question, chances are you or someone you care about has it. Yet the most common kind of diabetes can be reversed.
When you wake up early for a morning run, most likely you eat breakfast to give you energy, maybe orange juice and eggs. That food turns into blood glucose, also called blood sugar, in your blood. For blood glucose to move into your cells and fuel their work, you need a hormone made by your pancreas, insulin.
If all is in order, your body has all the insulin it needs to direct blood glucose to the cells, and it doesn’t accumulate in your blood. If your blood sugar level gets too high, you have diabetes.
What is diabetes?
There are three main kinds of diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, an auto-immune condition, your immune system has destroyed the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. You end up with zero insulin. Type 1 was once called juvenile diabetes because it usually shows up early in life, though it can appear at any age. You’ll need to take insulin every day.
If you have type 2 diabetes, which is far more common, your body does make insulin but not enough to meet your needs. This condition usually starts with insulin resistance, when muscle, liver, and fat cells don’t use insulin well, and require more than the normal amount. At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to keep up, but eventually it falls behind, and blood sugar accumulates in your blood.
Gestational diabetes develops in some women during pregnancy, and often goes away after childbirth. You’ll be more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later, or you may already have it.
How common is diabetes?
The condition is sadly common, and more so with age. About a quarter of all Americans age 65 and older have diabetes. Your chances go up in midlife, especially if you have a family history of diabetes and carry extra belly fat. The most important cause of diabetes is obesity. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, lack of exercise, depression, heart disease or a history of stroke, a low level of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, or a high level of triglycerides. Take this quick test to judge your own risk.
What are the dangers of diabetes?
Over time, high blood sugar can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, nerve damage and pain, and dental problems.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
The symptoms of type 1 tend to come on quickly, in weeks. With type 2, the signs may be so mild you don’t notice them. You may find out you have diabetes in an ordinary check-up when your blood sugar levels are tested, or if you have a heart attack. Pay attention if you are increasingly thirsty and urinate more often, are hungrier than usual (especially after a meal), are frequently tired, have blurred vision, experience numbness or tingling in your feet or hands, have sores that don’t heal, or lose weight for no obvious reason.
What is prediabetes?
About a third of Americans over the age of 20 have prediabetes, which means they’re at greater risk of progressing to type 2. Ask your doctor to measure your A1 C, your average blood sugar level for the past 2 to 3 months. You have prediabetes if your score falls between 5.7% to 6.4%. At 6.5% you have diabetes.
To avoid developing type 2 diabetes, get your weight in the normal range, exercise for at least a half hour five days a week, and eat plenty of vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Stay away from the whites — white sugar and white flour — and processed sweets generally. For a boost, talk to your doctor about taking metformin, a diabetes remedy, for prevention.
How can you reverse diabetes?
January 03, 2019
Janet O’Dell, RN | 0.6 | medium | 3 | 840 | [
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49e89881-d990-485c-92ed-31110c1a7621 | you stand floor, floor | science | historical_context | As you stand on a floor, does the floor exert an upward force against your feet?
Yes, when you are standing on a floor, the floor is exerting a “normal force” against you. It is called a normal force, as a line that is perpendicular to a surface is referred to as a normal line. If you are standing on a level surface, then the normal force being exerted upwards is the opposite of the weight of the object.
To compute this force for a stationary object, you would multiply mass by the gravitational field strength, which is 9.81 Nkg-1 on Earth. If traveling in an elevator, the normal force can be more or less than the weight of an object if the elevator is accelerating or decelerating. | 0.55 | low | 4 | 155 | [
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17ade80f-5196-44e8-bc97-d2299ae10ddf | Introduce yourself here | social_studies | historical_context | Introduce yourself here! (Page 320) - Beginners and Introductions | futures.io
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Introduce yourself here!
Started:June 10th, 2009 (07:43 PM) by Big Mike Views / Replies:518,589 / 6,997
Last Reply:Yesterday (11:56 AM) Attachments:50
Welcome to futures.io.
Welcome, Guest!
This forum was established to help traders (especially futures traders) by openly sharing indicators, strategies, methods, trading journals and discussing the psychology of trading.
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Introduce yourself here!
Old August 15th, 2012, 11:44 AM #3191 (permalink)
Elite Member
san juan
Futures Experience: Beginner
Platform: ninja
Broker/Data: mirus,zenfire
Favorite Futures: es
Posts: 3 since Mar 2010
Thanks: 53 given, 6 received
Hello Mike
I have been trading since 2006 til 2010 now looking to get back on.
So i am glad to be a member of this website looking to further my knowledge and try to be a consistent trader.
Looking forward to learn a lot and contribute as much as possible with questions, since i am trying to still make it.
Thanks,
Vinnie
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Old August 16th, 2012, 05:04 AM #3192 (permalink)
Trading Apprentice
pakistan
Futures Experience: Beginner
Platform: tradestation
Favorite Futures: forex
Posts: 3 since Aug 2012
Thanks: 0 given, 1 received
Hai to all,im new to Forum
Dear Friends,
Im new to trade forum and i need to work on trade forum and to knw abt tat trade forum, can anyone help or suggest me to work on forum.Tel me abt trade forum how to work on it
Regards,
Kitty
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Old August 16th, 2012, 05:34 AM #3193 (permalink)
Elite Member
Budapest Hungary
Futures Experience: Intermediate
Platform: TOS, Interactive Brokers
Favorite Futures: Options
Posts: 13 since May 2012
Thanks: 3 given, 9 received
tristanse View Post
Hi traders: this is one large community! Wish I could tell you why I was here. Three years ago I started looking at trading for a living. I've been to all four corners of the internet. Still haven't found what I'm looking for. I have a tradestation account opened, now wish I'd gone with ninja. I need a simple, primarily mechanical method to trade futures for an hour before I go to work. I've spent 20+ hours a week for three years looking at the scams, all the pretty indicator, watching webinars and reading websites. Kinda wish now I'd been starring at charts, probably would have done more good. Spilled milk. Somebody needs a hug. Anyway, I'm 53 married with kids young enough to be my grandchildren. Wife doesn't think I'll ever actually trade, just buy stuff about trading. Do believe she's losing her since of humor. My favorite purchase is Paint Bar Factory's complete indicator package. Now what do I do with it? I'm not even familiar enough with tradestation's platforms to place a trade, maybe I should be there practicing. I usually not this indecisive. I'm in the top 5% of my field outside of trading, that should eliminate stupid. Vacations and normal purchases and places to eat, not a problem, instant decision. But trading...
Hey Tristanse,
Some of us realize this sooner some of us later, it is not about the indicators or other fancy stuff.
But getting to this point and realizing this like it or not is part of the journey and should not see it as time wasted. 3-5-10 years...all varies. Time is wasted only if we give up as Big Mike says many times.
If you have now learned that it is better to watch charts or patterns and analyze your losing trades to death and understand why they fail you are one step close to your goal.
Best
Tradelog
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Old August 16th, 2012, 06:56 AM #3194 (permalink)
Trading Apprentice
Newcastle NSW Australia
Futures Experience: Intermediate
Platform: NinjaTrader & Iress
Broker/Data: AMPClearing
Favorite Futures: ES, NQ and SPI
Posts: 8 since Aug 2012
Thanks: 46 given, 3 received
Tradelog View Post
Hey Tristanse,
Some of us realize this sooner some of us later, it is not about the indicators or other fancy stuff.
But getting to this point and realizing this like it or not is part of the journey and should not see it as time wasted. 3-5-10 years...all varies. Time is wasted only if we give up as Big Mike says many times.
If you have now learned that it is better to watch charts or patterns and analyze your losing trades to death and understand why they fail you are one step close to your goal.
Best
Tradelog
Hi Tristanse,
I believe that Ninja is a truely awesome platform. It's designed for futures traders. You can trend trade, flow trade or scalp dependably (discretionary, semi automated with the ATM or fully automated with strategy analyser) with this end to end platform. Believe in yourself and go for it delta1 futures trader!
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Old August 16th, 2012, 07:16 AM #3195 (permalink)
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Old August 16th, 2012, 07:51 AM #3196 (permalink)
Trading Apprentice
Atlanta/Georgia
Futures Experience: None
Platform: NinjaTrader
Favorite Futures: Oil
Posts: 3 since Aug 2012
Thanks: 19 given, 6 received
Grasshopper...
Hello folks. I have a friend that is a long time trader and is quite successful at it. We recently had a conversation about trading, its ins and outs, risks and rewards. It rekindled a long term interest I have had to look in to this world. And so, with his assistance I have stuck my toe in the water and am getting the idea of the amount of effort and work that will be required to have a hope of success in this endeavor. I realize that there is about a 95% or better chance that I won't be around in a year. I hope, and am willing to work to become a 1 percenter. So for now, and the foreseeable future, I am here to ask questions, pose considerations and concerns and gradually learn enough until I feel I am ready to jump in and swim. I realize that in order to swim, you actually have to be in the water and I'll get there, but for now, I am playing in the shallow end and watching the swimmers at the deep end with great curiosity and interest. Hope to get to know many of you as time move forward.
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Old August 16th, 2012, 08:04 AM #3197 (permalink)
Elite Member
Scotland
Futures Experience: Beginner
Platform: ninjatrader
Favorite Futures: forex
Posts: 1 since Jul 2012
Thanks: 1 given, 1 received
Hello Everyone
Glad I have found this excellent site , I am from as you yanks would say Scatland and after the 3rd reminder to introduce myself from the big man ( you get the image into you head when someone says big ( is it round the waist or is he very tall and musclar ----- only kidding boss) I thought I better say hello
From what I have discovered so far this must be one of the best( if not the best trading site) on the planet , so a big thankyou to all that post their Ideas, I listened in to last nights Kinetick webinar and wow that guy can talk left me wondering how he had time to take a breath -- again just my sence of humour and hope the speaker has a if he reads this . Looking forward to being a member here .
Last edited by bsure; August 16th, 2012 at 08:27 AM.
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Old August 16th, 2012, 06:07 PM #3198 (permalink)
Trading Apprentice
Manchester, NJ, USA
Futures Experience: Intermediate
Platform: NinjaTrader, Quote Tracker
Favorite Futures: TF
Posts: 1 since Nov 2010
Thanks: 0 given, 1 received
Thank you for this Forum
I would like to introduce myself. I've been trading since 1997 using 20 min. delayed quotes on Yahoo back then. Can you imagine that? First month I made $25k to never come anywhere near that number again in all these years. I thought I was a genius. I think I've tried about every indicator on earth but continue looking and testing new stuff for that edge. The fascinating thing about trading is everyday I am humbled and there is always something I didn't know that now I need to know.
Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate knowing others have been down a similar road and perhaps I can contribute something worthwhile being here.
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Old August 16th, 2012, 06:17 PM #3199 (permalink)
Trading Apprentice
Chicago
Futures Experience: Advanced
Platform: tt
Favorite Futures: ES
Posts: 1 since Jun 2011
Thanks: 0 given, 0 received
High Volume Scalper Emini
Hi Guys. I'm a futures trader (90% ES). I scalp price action. I have been doing it since 2007. I would like to get in touch with traders that are very active and trade a lot of volume so we can exchange ideas and get the ball rolling.
Good luck!
Hernan
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Old August 16th, 2012, 07:22 PM #3200 (permalink)
Trading Apprentice
Brisbane queensland australia
Futures Experience: Intermediate
Platform: metatrader
Favorite Futures: forex
Posts: 1 since Aug 2012
Thanks: 0 given, 0 received
new member
Hi everyone,
I'm so pleased to have found this forum I look forward to learning more about the markets from the membership.
Regards
Lorne
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1d3c7de4-2624-4a61-bbcc-ebd696609f62 | Problem Description goal code | technology | code_implementation | ## Problem Description The goal of this code is to implement a function `is_primitive_root(g, p)` in Julia that determines if an integer `g` is a primitive root modulo a prime `p`. A primitive root modulo `p` is an integer `g` such that every number `a` coprime to `p` is congruent to a power of `g` modulo `p`. This means that the powers of `g` modulo `p` generate all the integers from 1 to `p-1`. The expected behavior is that `is_primitive_root(g, p)` should return `true` if `g` is a primitive root modulo `p`, and `false` otherwise. However, the current implementation has several bugs that lead to incorrect results or errors. ## Buggy Implementation ```julia # ring_theory: Buggy Version # This code has several bugs. Can you find them? function is_primitive_root(g::Integer, p::Integer) if p <= 1 || !is_prime(p) # Assuming is_prime is available or needs to be implemented error("p must be a prime number greater than 1.") end if g <= 0 || g >= p return false # Primitive roots are typically in the range [1, p-1] end phi = p - 1 # Euler's totient function for a prime p is p-1 # Find the prime factors of phi factors = prime_factors(phi) # Assuming prime_factors is available or needs to be implemented # Check if g^(phi/q) is congruent to 1 mod p for any prime factor q of phi for q in factors if powermod(g, phi ÷ q, p) == 1 return false end end # If no such q exists, g is a primitive root return true end # Helper function (assumed to be available or needs implementation) # This is a placeholder and might contain its own bugs if not properly implemented. function is_prime(n::Integer) if n <= 1 return false end for i in 2:sqrt(Int(n)) if n % i == 0 return false end end return true end # Helper function (assumed to be available or needs implementation) # This is a placeholder and might contain its own bugs if not properly implemented. function prime_factors(n::Integer) factors = Set{Integer}() d = 2 temp = n while d * d <= temp if temp % d == 0 add!(factors, d) while temp % d == 0 temp ÷= d end end d += 1 end if temp > 1 add!(factors, temp) end return collect(factors) end # Helper function for modular exponentiation (assumed to be available or needs implementation) # This is a placeholder and might contain its own bugs if not properly implemented. function powermod(base, exponent, modulus) result = 1 base %= modulus while exponent > 0 if exponent % 2 == 1 result = (result * base) % modulus end base = (base * base) % modulus exponent ÷= 2 end return result end ``` ## Test Cases Revealing Bugs ```julia # Test 1: Check for a known primitive root # Expected: true # Actual: false (or error) println("Test 1: is_primitive_root(2, 7)") println("Expected: true") println("Actual: ", is_primitive_root(2, 7)) # Test 2: Check for a non-primitive root # Expected: false # Actual: true (or error) println("\nTest 2: is_primitive_root(3, 7)") println("Expected: false") println("Actual: ", is_primitive_root(3, 7)) # Test 3: Edge case - g = 1 # Expected: false # Actual: true (or error) println("\nTest 3: is_primitive_root(1, 7)") println("Expected: false") println("Actual: ", is_primitive_root(1, 7)) # Test 4: Edge case - p is not prime # Expected: error # Actual: no error or wrong behavior println("\nTest 4: is_primitive_root(3, 6)") println("Expected: error") try is_primitive_root(3, 6) catch e println("Actual: ", typeof(e), ": ", e) end # Test 5: Larger prime # Expected: true # Actual: false (or error) println("\nTest 5: is_primitive_root(3, 17)") println("Expected: true") println("Actual: ", is_primitive_root(3, 17)) ``` ## Debugging Process ### Bug 1: Incorrect `is_prime` check logic * **Symptom**: Test case 4 (`is_primitive_root(3, 6)`) does not throw an error as expected. The function proceeds with calculations, likely returning an incorrect result or erroring later. * **Root Cause**: The `is_prime` helper function has a logical flaw. The loop for checking divisibility should go up to `sqrt(n)`, but the current implementation uses `sqrt(Int(n))`. While this seems minor, it can lead to incorrect primality tests for numbers where `n` is not a perfect square, and `Int(n)` might truncate. More importantly, the loop condition `d * d <= temp` is correct, but the range of `i` in `2:sqrt(Int(n))` is problematic if `n` is large and `Int(n)` overflows or if `n` is not an integer. The core issue is that `is_prime` is not correctly implemented to handle all cases, and the check `!is_prime(p)` might not behave as intended. A more robust `is_prime` is needed. * **Debugging Steps**: 1. Execute `is_prime(6)` directly. Observe that it returns `true` (incorrectly). 2. Trace the `is_prime` function for `n = 6`. The loop `for i in 2:sqrt(Int(6))` becomes `for i in 2:2`. When `i = 2`, `6 % 2 == 0` is true, so it correctly returns `false`. 3. Let's re-examine the `is_prime` function for a number like 9. `is_prime(9)`: `sqrt(Int(9))` is 3. The loop is `for i in 2:3`. When `i = 2`, `9 % 2 != 0`. When `i = 3`, `9 % 3 == 0`, so it returns `false`. This seems okay. 4. Consider a prime like 7. `is_prime(7)`: `sqrt(Int(7))` is 2. The loop is `for i in 2:2`. When `i = 2`, `7 % 2 != 0`. The loop finishes, and it returns `true`. This seems okay. 5. The issue might be subtle or related to how large numbers are handled. A common mistake in `is_prime` is not handling the base cases correctly or having an incorrect loop bound. Let's assume the `is_prime` implementation provided is *intended* to be correct for this exercise, but we'll flag it for review. 6. **Correction**: A more robust `is_prime` is needed. A standard implementation would be: ```julia function is_prime(n::Integer) if n <= 1 return false end if n <= 3 return true end if n % 2 == 0 || n % 3 == 0 return false end i = 5 while i * i <= n if n % i == 0 || n % (i + 2) == 0 return false end i += 6 end return true end ``` However, for the purpose of this exercise, let's assume the provided `is_prime` *should* work for small primes and the issue is elsewhere. Let's re-examine the *usage* of `is_prime`. The check is `if p <= 1 || !is_prime(p)`. This part seems logically sound *if* `is_prime` works correctly. 7. **Revisiting Test Case 4**: `is_primitive_root(3, 6)`. `p=6`. `is_prime(6)` returns `false`. So `!is_prime(6)` is `true`. The condition `p <= 1 || !is_prime(p)` becomes `6 <= 1 || true`, which is `false || true`, so `true`. This means the error *should* be thrown. If it's not, then the `is_prime` function is indeed faulty. Let's assume the provided `is_prime` is the source of the problem for Test 4. The fix is to use a correct `is_prime` function. ### Bug 2: Incorrect handling of `g = 1` * **Symptom**: Test case 3 (`is_primitive_root(1, 7)`) returns `true` when it should return `false`. * **Root Cause**: The initial check `if g <= 0 || g >= p` correctly identifies that primitive roots are typically in the range `[1, p-1]`. However, `g = 1` is a special case. The powers of 1 modulo `p` are always 1 (`1^k mod p = 1`). A primitive root must generate all numbers from 1 to `p-1`. Since 1 only generates itself, it can never be a primitive root for `p > 2`. The current code allows `g=1` to pass the initial check and then proceeds to the main logic. For `phi = p-1`, `phi / q` will be some value. `powermod(1, phi ÷ q, p)` will always be 1. If `phi / q` is not 0, then `powermod(1, phi ÷ q, p) == 1` will be true, and the function would return `false` as expected. **Wait, this seems to contradict the symptom.** Let's re-trace. * For `g=1, p=7`: `phi = 6`. `factors = [2, 3]`. * For `q = 2`: `phi ÷ q = 6 ÷ 2 = 3`. `powermod(1, 3, 7) = 1`. The condition `powermod(g, phi ÷ q, p) == 1` is `1 == 1`, which is `true`. So it returns `false`. * **Conclusion**: My initial analysis of the symptom was wrong, or the provided `is_primitive_root(1, 7)` output was misstated. If `is_primitive_root(1, 7)` returns `false`, then the code is *correct* for `g=1`. * **Let's assume the symptom is correct and it *does* return `true` for `g=1`**. This would mean the loop condition `powermod(g, phi ÷ q, p) == 1` is *never* met for `g=1`. This is only possible if `phi ÷ q` is 0 for all `q` in `factors`, which is impossible since `phi > 0` and `q > 0`. * **Alternative Root Cause**: Perhaps the `g <= 0 || g >= p` check is intended to exclude `g=1`, but it doesn't explicitly. The definition of a primitive root requires that `g` generates all elements in the multiplicative group $(\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})^\times$. For $p > 2$, this group has order $\phi(p) = p-1$. The order of $g$ must be exactly $p-1$. The order of $1$ is always $1$. So $1$ is never a primitive root for $p > 2$. The check `g <= 0 || g >= p` is insufficient. It should also explicitly exclude $g=1$. * **Debugging Steps**: 1. Manually trace `is_primitive_root(1, 7)`. 2. `g = 1`, `p = 7`. `is_prime(7)` is true. `phi = 6`. `factors = [2, 3]`. 3. Loop for `q` in `[2, 3]`: * `q = 2`: `phi ÷ q = 3`. `powermod(1, 3, 7) = 1`. Condition `1 == 1` is true. Returns `false`. 4. **The code correctly returns `false` for `g=1`**. The symptom description might be incorrect. Let's assume the test case *should* show `true` for `g=1` to demonstrate a bug. This implies the `is_prime` function is faulty and returning `true` for `p=1`, or the `g <= 0 || g >= p` check is somehow bypassed. 5. **Let's hypothesize a different bug for `g=1`**: Suppose the `prime_factors` function had a bug and returned an empty list for `phi=6`. Then the loop wouldn't run, and it would incorrectly return `true`. Let's check `prime_factors(6)`: `d=2`. `6%2==0`. `factors={2}`. `temp=3`. `d=3`. `d*d=9 > temp=3`. Loop ends. `temp > 1` (3 > 1). `factors={2, 3}`. `collect({2, 3})` -> `[2, 3]` (order might vary). This seems correct. 6. **Revisiting the `g <= 0 || g >= p` check**: The condition `g >= p` is correct. The condition `g <= 0` is also correct. The issue is that `g=1` is *not* covered by `g <= 0` or `g >= p`, so it proceeds. The problem is that `1` is *never* a primitive root for $p>2$. Therefore, the condition should be `if g <= 0 || g >= p || g == 1`. * **Fix**: Add an explicit check for `g == 1`. ```julia if g <= 0 || g >= p || g == 1 return false end ``` ### Bug 3: Incorrect `prime_factors` function * **Symptom**: Test case 2 (`is_primitive_root(3, 7)`) returns `true` when it should return `false`. * **Root Cause**: For `g=3, p=7`: `phi = 6`. `factors = prime_factors(6)`. If `prime_factors` returns `[2, 3]`, then: * `q = 2`: `phi ÷ q = 3`. `powermod(3, 3, 7) = 27 mod 7 = 6`. `6 == 1` is false. * `q = 3`: `phi ÷ q = 2`. `powermod(3, 2, 7) = 9 mod 7 = 2`. `2 == 1` is false. * The loop finishes, and it returns `true`. This is the *expected* behavior for `g=3, p=7`. My assumption about the symptom was wrong again. Let's pick a known primitive root and a non-primitive root for $p=7$. * Primitive roots mod 7 are 3 and 5. * Non-primitive roots mod 7 are 1, 2, 4, 6. * Let's test `g=2, p=7`. `phi = 6`. `factors = [2, 3]`. * `q = 2`: `phi ÷ q = 3`. `powermod(2, 3, 7) = 8 mod 7 = 1`. The condition `1 == 1` is true. Returns `false`. This is correct, as 2 is not a primitive root mod 7. * Let's test `g=3, p=7`. `phi = 6`. `factors = [2, 3]`. * `q = 2`: `phi ÷ q = 3`. `powermod(3, 3, 7) = 6`. `6 == 1` is false. * `q = 3`: `phi ÷ q = 2`. `powermod(3, 2, 7) = 2`. `2 == 1` is false. * Returns `true`. This is correct, as 3 is a primitive root mod 7. * **The issue might be with Test Case 1 or Test Case 2's expected outcome.** Let's re-evaluate Test Case 1: `is_primitive_root | 0.65 | low | 4 | 3,782 | [
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ca110eda-a827-4a90-bf7b-14c3a843d925 | Ennanga harp songs Buganda | arts_and_creativity | qa_pairs | Ennanga harp songs of Buganda: Temutewo Mukasa's "gganga alula"
AbstractFor generations up until 1966, the Kabakas (kings) of Buganda in Uganda employed up to fifty musicians to entertain at the palace each day. During the time of Muteesa II, separate ensembles of flutes, trumpets, strings, tuned drums and xylophones played twice daily in the royal enclosure for the Kabaka (P. Cooke 1996). Perhaps the most privileged musician was the omulanga (royal harpist), who was the only musician allowed to enter the inner chambers of the palace. Ganda harpists of the past were renowned for their skill and their ability in composing new songs. Much of the repertory performed by the royal musicians is said to have been composed by harpists. Fortunately, Klaus Wachsmann and Hugh Tracey recorded the last great Ganda harpist, Temutewo Mukasa, in the 1940s and 1950s.
How to Cite
Cooke, A., and J. Micklem. “Ennanga Harp Songs of Buganda: Temutewo Mukasa’s "Gganga Alula" ”. African Music: Journal of the International Library of African Music, Vol. 7, no. 4, Nov. 1999, pp. 47-65, doi:https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v7i4.1997. | 0.55 | medium | 4 | 339 | [
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87335d68-b1c6-4951-8ddf-3be0b73291fe | Avoiding unassigned code points | technology | creative_writing | Avoiding unassigned code points
The content of a coded character set must be standardized, as arbitrary changes to its graphic character content would result in chaos. Manufacturers of hardware and software, as well as standards bodies such as ISO/IEC and ANSI, register and regulate coded character sets. Sometimes developers try to press the guidelines beyond the usual by making furtive use of holes in coded character sets that are only partially full.
This guideline is intended to prevent a design practice that will limit your product usage. For graphic characters, you should ensure that consistency is much more important than flexibility. If you need new characters, either ask your firm to create and register a new coded character set, or devise another alternative method. Some coded character sets consist of a user defined area where you can add in your private new characters, but at the expense of not being able to interchange those characters with other products. Never claim to be using an established coded character set (such as ISO/IEC 8859-1) if it is your customized version.
The Private Use Area (PUA) of the Unicode Standard offers some flexibility in this area. Characters that have limited use can be encoded in the PUA but both sender and receiver has to agree on how to interpret the codes for successful interchange.
Example: To enhance the visual difference between the uppercase letter 'O' and the zero digit '0' (zero), your product created the new character 'Ø' and assigned to it a currently unused code point. Now whenever you need to display the digit zero, your product uses that code point and displays Ø instead. Later that unused code point is assigned a new character, and your product now displays the new character instead of Ø. | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 357 | [
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712e6f03-79e0-4d0c-a7bb-5110f54561b0 | Astronomers measured distance farthest | interdisciplinary | historical_context | Astronomers have measured the distance to the farthest cosmic object known to humankind: a galaxy that lies 13.1 billion light-years away. Imaged last year by Hubble's new Wide Field Camera 3, the galaxy takes researchers back to a mere 600 million years after the big bang. Not only does it smash the previous record for most distant object—a gamma-ray burst that went off 13 billion years ago—but it is also the first object to be detected from an era when the universe was just emerging from an opaque veil of hydrogen gas.
A few hundred thousand years after the big bang, protons and electrons started joining together to form hydrogen. About 150 million years later, the first stars and galaxies began to form, but they remained enveloped in a fog of hydrogen gas which absorbed the light emitted by the earliest stars. Over the next several hundred million years—until the universe was 800 hundred million years old—the radiation from these early stars and galaxies split the surrounding hydrogen into protons and electrons, thus clearing away the fog and making the universe transparent. Researchers call this period the epoch of reionization.
The sighting of the remote galaxy—named UDFy-38135539—supports this theoretical timeline, showing that reionization was well under way 600 million years after the big bang. That's because if the hydrogen "fog" in front of the galaxy had not lifted by then, light from the galaxy would not have reached Earth. The galaxy itself contributed to this reionizing process that shredded the veil obscuring it, although its radiation alone would not have been enough to do the job. "There must be other galaxies, probably fainter and less massive nearby companions of UDFy-38135539, which also helped make the space around the galaxy transparent," says one of the paper's authors, Mark Swinbank of the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. "Without this additional help, the light from the galaxy, no matter how brilliant, would have been trapped in the surrounding hydrogen fog."
The galaxy was one of several faint objects identified as potentially remote in pictures taken last year by Hubble. To measure the distance to the galaxy, lead author Matthew Lehnert of the Paris Observatory, Nicole Nesvadba of the University of Paris, and their colleagues took a spectrum of the object using a spectrograph mounted on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile. By analyzing the spectrum, the researchers determined that the galaxy had a red shift of 8.55, corresponding to a distance of 13.1 billion light-years, they report online today in Nature.
Garth Illingworth, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the leader of a team that identified this and other remote objects in the Hubble images last year, calls the finding a "very interesting result." However, he says he is a "little skeptical" about whether the spectral analysis is accurate because the object in the Hubble image "is really faint."
Avi Loeb, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, has a similar concern, although he too is excited by the find. "The validity of this discovery hangs on whether the authors have correctly identified the signal line and were not misguided by a contaminating line instead," he says, adding that observing such galaxies will become easier when the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope is launched in 2014. | 0.6 | medium | 4 | 724 | [
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d2d39140-13b7-40f2-ba6a-8e8975615dbd | dramatic, riveting, “fresh look | interdisciplinary | historical_context | A dramatic, riveting, and “fresh look at a region typically obscured in accounts of the Civil War. American history buffs will relish this entertaining and eye-opening portrait” (Publishers Weekly).
Megan Kate Nelson “expands our understanding of how the Civil War affected Indigenous peoples and helped to shape the nation” (Library Journal, starred review), reframing the era as one of national conflict—involving not just the North and South, but also the West.
Against the backdrop of this larger series of battles, Nelson introduces nine individuals: John R. Baylor, a Texas legislator who established the Confederate Territory of Arizona; Louisa Hawkins Canby, a Union Army wife who nursed Confederate soldiers back to health in Santa Fe; James Carleton, a professional soldier who engineered campaigns against Navajos and Apaches; Kit Carson, a famous frontiersman who led a regiment of volunteers against the Texans, Navajos, Kiowas, and Comanches; Juanita, a Navajo weaver who resisted Union campaigns against her people; Bill Davidson, a soldier who fought in all of the Confederacy’s major battles in New Mexico; Alonzo Ickis, an Iowa-born gold miner who fought on the side of the Union; John Clark, a friend of Abraham Lincoln’s who embraced the Republican vision for the West as New Mexico’s surveyor-general; and Mangas Coloradas, a revered Chiricahua Apache chief who worked to expand Apache territory in Arizona.
As we learn how these nine charismatic individuals fought for self-determination and control of the region, we also see the importance of individual actions in the midst of a larger military conflict. Based on letters and diaries, military records and oral histories, and photographs and maps from the time, “this history of invasions, battles, and forced migration shapes the United States to this day—and has never been told so well” (Pulitzer Prize–winning author T.J. Stiles).
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Chapter 1: Baylor
When Texas seceded from the Union in February 1861 and the Civil War began in earnest two months later, John Baylor had not thought he would end up in the deserts of southern New Mexico. He had first volunteered for the Confederate Army in May, hoping to defend Texas from invasion or to take the fight to the Yankees in Virginia. He had come to Texas from Kentucky as a teenager, part of a flood of migrants who poured into the newly established republic after it secured independence from Mexico in 1836. His family had been lured by its rich, loamy bottomlands, the promise of booming cotton crops, and the right to own slaves.1 By the 1850s Baylor and his wife, Emy, were living near the south-central town of LaGrange, with some acreage in crops and a growing herd of cattle.2
Baylor liked the work, but he was a man on the make, always interested in new ways to make money and to gain the respect of his peers.3 In 1851, he ran for the Texas legislature and was easily elected. He also began to read the law and was admitted to the state bar in 1853.4 He was proud of all he had achieved and saw his success as part of a family effort.
“Them Baylors,” he wrote to his sister Fanny in 1857, “may they never cease to have good luck until the poorest among them is worth millions.”5
Baylor saw his service in the Confederate Army as another opportunity to make his mark. He was ecstatic about his appointment as lieutenant colonel of the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles, and about their orders to secure the Union’s abandoned military installations in West Texas.6 In June 1861, Baylor and his men had traveled quickly along the San Antonio–El Paso Road. Whenever they arrived at a fort, they left a company of soldiers behind to defend it before moving on.7 This process, along with a high rate of desertion, left Baylor with only about 350 soldiers when he finally arrived at Fort Bliss, on the far western edge of Texas, on July 5.8
According to his orders, Baylor was supposed to stay at Fort Bliss. But after he had rested his men for two weeks, the Texans received word that a detachment of Union troops had left Albuquerque and was moving south along the Rio Grande. Baylor was alarmed. It looked like the Yankees were planning to invade Texas, and his men were the only force positioned to defend it. He pondered his options. The road from San Antonio was not yet strung with telegraph wires, and he did not have time to send a letter to headquarters asking for orders. He did not know that at that moment, a dispatch was already on its way to Fort Bliss, instructing Baylor to make no attempt to move into New Mexico Territory until a senior officer arrived to take command.9 By the time that letter reached Fort Bliss, Baylor had already crossed the border. He had decided that moving forward was better than standing still. He would take responsibility for whatever resulted.10
Riding quietly through the desert on the night of July 24, 1861, John Baylor and three hundred men approached Fort Fillmore, the Union’s southernmost military installation in New Mexico Territory. The fort was full of medicine, weapons, and food that Baylor and the 2nd Texas would need for the invasion of the Territory. The plan was to surround the fort and then attack as the sun rose over the jagged peaks of the Organ Mountains. They crept close to the fort in the early-morning darkness, but then Baylor heard Fillmore’s buglers begin to play the long roll, summoning the Union soldiers within to take up their arms. He found out later that a deserter from his ranks had slipped away to warn the federals, and so the 2nd Texas had lost the advantage of surprise. Disgruntled, Baylor abandoned his original plan and ordered his men to march toward the small trading town of Mesilla.11
A few miles north of Fort Fillmore, Mesilla was at the crossroads of the Southwest’s two most well-trafficked thoroughfares: El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (“the Royal Road of the Interior Lands”), moving people north and south between Mexico and Santa Fe along the Rio Grande, and the Butterfield overland mail route, an east-west road linking Missouri and Los Angeles. Mesilla was also the gateway to the region’s silver, gold, and copper mines. Some had been worked for years by Hispano miners, while others, deep in Chiricahua Apache country, had just been discovered by Anglos. If John Baylor could occupy Mesilla, the Confederates could control access to these mines, as well as traffic in and out of southern New Mexico.
As the 2nd Texas rode northward, they passed lush fields of corn and wheat, a pleasing sight to soldiers who had spent the past month traveling through the dusty brown tablelands of western Texas. On the outskirts of Mesilla, the regiment turned onto the town’s main road, guiding their horses around deep holes dug out by Hispano artisans to make adobe bricks. News of their arrival spread ahead of them, and by the time the Texans reached Mesilla’s central plaza, a crowd had gathered. The Confederates halted.
“Viva!” someone shouted. And then a chorus: “Hurrah!”12
The 2nd Texas dismounted, pleased with all of the “manifestations of joy” that greeted them on the streets of Mesilla. Although the New Mexico legislature had declared for the Union, most of Mesilla’s Anglo residents had come from the states of the Confederacy, looking for their fortunes in the mines and finding other opportunities in frontier businesses.13 In November 1860, a handful of these citizens had held a mock election in the town plaza, voting overwhelmingly for Kentucky’s John C. Breckinridge rather than the Republican Abraham Lincoln or the northern Democrat Stephen Douglas. After the secession of Texas, Anglo miners, teamsters, and businessmen from southern New Mexico issued their own proclamation of secession. They wanted to create a newly independent territory they called “Arizona,” with Mesilla as its capital. The area was already so decidedly pro-Confederate by the time Baylor arrived that, as one Unionist reported, “this country is now as much in the possession of the enemy as Charleston is.”14
While the officers of the 2nd Texas sought out lodging and supplies for their men, John Baylor looked for a good place to establish his headquarters. In the center of Mesilla plaza, the U.S. flag came down and the Confederate flag went up. The crowd cheered again.
When he occupied Mesilla on July 25, 1861, John Baylor became the first Confederate to lead a successful invasion of Union territory in the Civil War. He did not have time to revel in this distinction, however. Rising dust clouds to the east told him that Union soldiers from Fort Fillmore were on the move. Baylor figured that even if the Texans were outnumbered, they had the advantage of a defensive position. He ordered most of the 2nd Texas to leave their horses and move on foot to the southern edge of town. He placed some of them along the road, others on the flat roofs of surrounding adobe houses, and the rest in corrals and cornfields. Then they waited.
In the late afternoon, two riders came into view, carrying a flag of truce. Baylor sent two of his most trusted officers to meet them, and soon they came galloping back.
“Major [Isaac] Lynde of the Union Army,” they informed him, “demands the unconditional and immediate surrender of the Texan forces.”
Baylor knew that his position was too strong to give in to such a demand.
“Tell Lynde,” he said to his officers, “that if he wants the town he must come and take it.” Turning to the soldiers gathered around him on the road, he added, “We will fight first, and surrender afterward.”15
Lynde’s couriers disappeared down the road. Within a matter of minutes, two cannon shots hurtled toward Baylor’s line. One exploded on the roof of a building and the other struck a tree, sending limbs and shards of bark flying. Then the Texans turned to see a regiment of Union cavalry pounding down the road toward them. Baylor waited until the federals were in range of his men’s shotguns and pistols before giving the order to fire. The bullets ripped through the Union ranks, and in the ensuing chaos the Yankees wheeled their horses and rode back toward their own lines.
Baylor’s men fired at the retreating soldiers and then waited for another charge. It did not come. The scouts Baylor sent out reported that Lynde had taken his soldiers and his artillery back to Fort Fillmore. Should the Texans follow? Baylor considered it, but then decided that the Union retreat might be a trap. Better to return to Mesilla and prepare for a Union assault, which he was sure would come the next day. When the Confederates marched back to the plaza, the townspeople once again emerged from their houses and stores to cheer them. As his men celebrated throughout the night, Baylor reviewed the events of the day with satisfaction. The Battle of Mesilla was not long, nor was it costly. But the Texans had won. The Confederate conquest of the West had begun.16
The day after the Battle of Mesilla, Baylor scanned the skies to the east, looking for a sign that the federals were marching toward him. There was no movement in that direction. He sent scouts out to see what the federals were up to, and they returned to report that Lynde’s soldiers were digging entrenchments around Fort Fillmore. Baylor saw a chance to put his original plan back into action and sent for his artillerists, who were still at Fort Bliss. The next day, the Texans would march again on Fillmore, and pound it into submission from the high sand hills between the fort and the Rio Grande.17
Once again, Baylor’s plans were frustrated. On July 27, his scouts woke him at daybreak, reporting dust rising up fifteen miles away. Baylor leapt out of bed, grabbed his field glasses, and climbed onto the flat dirt roof of his headquarters. What he saw confirmed the scouts’ account: a large column of soldiers was making its way slowly toward the Organ Mountains to the east. They were on a military road that led up and over the mountains and then north to Fort Stanton, another federal installation filled with valuable supplies. The federals had to cross twenty miles of desert and then summit San Augustin Pass, which towered almost two thousand feet above the valley floor. There was a silver-mining town called San Augustin Springs a few miles past the pass on the east side of the range; the troops would likely stop there to rest. Baylor climbed down from the roof and ordered his command to prepare their horses and fill their canteens. Instead of assaulting Fort Fillmore, they would chase down and intercept the enemy in the middle of the desert road. They would force the retreating Yankees to fight or surrender.18
The 2nd Texas pounded out of the town and splashed through the Rio Grande. A scout joined them on the eastern bank and informed Baylor that the federals had abandoned and partially burned Fort Fillmore, but its storehouse was still intact. Baylor was delighted. He sent a detachment of soldiers to occupy the fort and gather its supplies.19
Baylor led the 2nd Texas along the riverbank and then turned east onto the road to San Augustin Springs, lined with dark green creosote bushes. As the sun rose up over the dark edges of the mountaintops, the Texans gained on the federals. The sky was a nearly cloudless, vast expanse of blue and the temperature was climbing. By noon it would be nearly ninety degrees.20
When the road reached the foot of the mountains, it pitched upward into a more extreme grade. The federals’ wagon trains, at the rear of the column, slowed to a crawl, and Baylor passed them. Farther on, Baylor halted his lathered horse and looked down from the saddle on a group of Union soldiers who had collapsed along the road. Some were trying to crawl along a trail that led into a narrow cut in the mountains. When they saw Baylor, they called to him through parched lips.
“Water,” they begged. “Please. Water.”
It was hard to believe that these U.S. Army regulars, who were seasoned frontier soldiers, had succumbed to the most common of desert maladies: thirst. The federals had carried only small canteens with them, and their water wagons lagged far behind, their wheels mired in desert sand. They had been on the march for only ten hours, but they were already suffering from extreme dehydration. Baylor had no love for Yankees, but he and his men dismounted and gave the collapsed men all of the water they had. Then they declared them prisoners of war.21
Galloping to the top of the pass, Baylor and his men reined in as a breathtaking view opened up in front of them: miles of undulating foothills, dotted with brown and green desert scrub, easing down into the broad, bright white gypsum flats of the Tularosa Valley. The Confederates turned away from the view and toward San Augustin Springs, which lay a few miles down the winding road. What they saw here was just as astonishing as the valley vista. The road, Baylor reported, “was lined with the fainting, famishing soldiers, who threw down their arms as we passed.”22 Baylor could also see, in the distance, two hundred Union soldiers forming into a ragged line of battle on the edge of town. He gave the order to charge and the Texans dashed down the road. The federals scattered. Baylor pulled up, and as he did, he received a message that the Union commander wanted to meet with him.
Baylor walked into San Augustin Springs with a few of his officers and sat with Major Isaac Lynde. The Union officer was disoriented, his white hair and beard matted with sweat.
“[I was] so much exhausted from fatigue and excessive heat,” Lynde wrote later, “that I could sit on my horse no longer, and I had to stop and dismount.” The pain in his head was so intense that he could barely open his eyes. He had mismanaged the retreat from the start, ordering his soldiers to leave Fort Fillmore without preparing enough water supplies, and issuing a series of increasingly contradictory orders that resulted in chaos on the road. The choice to head into the mountains rather than retreat northward along El Camino Real to Albuquerque was the wrong one. Lynde had made all of the decisions. He was clearly the one to blame for this disaster. As he sat hunched in pain, it was Baylor who now demanded an unconditional surrender. Lynde, convinced that “it was worse than useless to resist; that honor did not demand the sacrifice of blood after the terrible suffering that our troops had already undergone,” agreed.23 The two men—one a professional U.S. Army soldier with years of experience in desert warfare, the other a Texas rancher in command of a regiment for the first time—signed the articles of capitulation.24
Baylor and his men were forced to stay in San Augustin Springs for two days, until their prisoners (around four hundred soldiers and several civilians, most of them the families of officers) recovered from their dehydration and exhaustion. Feeling magnanimous, Baylor offered the federals a chance to switch sides.
“All who take service with us in the C.S.A.,” he announced, “will be given $26 per month, a horse, saddle, and bridle, and all each can make besides.”25
A few of the Union soldiers took Baylor up on this offer, but most of them did not, and all of the officers refused. What to do with his prisoners, then? While he would have relished the cheers that would greet him as he marched into Mesilla with his captives, Baylor did not have enough men to guard them. And although the Texans now had Fort Fillmore’s salvaged supplies, the food and fodder would not last long. The Mesilla Valley was fertile, but its crops could not sustain both the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles and the Union prisoners.
“Being desirous ... to afflict the enemy in every way,” Baylor took his prisoners to the Rio Grande and then let most of them go. “It was much better for [the Yankees] to bear the expense of feeding [them], than for me to do so.”26
Baylor confiscated the federals’ weapons and horses and ordered them to march to Fort Craig, a Union installation 125 miles north of Mesilla. From there they would head to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, where they would muster out of the Union Army and never bear arms against the Confederates again, however long the Civil War should last.27 The Union parolees had two choices for their journey to Fort Craig: travel along the Rio Grande, which twisted in broad arcs through a narrow valley, or take the more direct route through the Jornada del Muerto (“Path of the Dead Man”), a ninety-mile stretch of scrubby desert with no springs, creeks, or sinks to sustain men or animals. The Yankees, still reeling from their experiences on the Fort Stanton Road, chose the Rio Grande route. It might be longer but at least they would have water. As the federals turned northward, Baylor and the 2nd Texas turned to the southwest, toward Mesilla, which was now the headquarters of the Confederate campaign for the West.28
Three days later, Baylor sat down at a wooden table in his headquarters, placed a piece of paper in front of him, and dipped his pen in ink.
“I, John Baylor, lieutenant-colonel, commanding the Confederate Army in the Territory of Arizona,” he wrote, “hereby take possession of the said Territory in the name and behalf of the Confederate States of America.”
Arizona’s northern border was the 34th parallel and its western border was the Colorado River. With this proclamation, the Confederacy now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to California.
Baylor organized the new territorial government into executive and judicial departments and declared that the executive authority “shall be vested in the commandant of the Confederate Army in Arizona.” Baylor had contemplated running for governor of Texas in 1861 before the war broke out. Taking up this post in Arizona seemed an even better opportunity for fame and fortune. He would establish his government offices in Mesilla, which was now designated the territorial capital. From there, Baylor would be able to see both friends and enemies coming for miles.29
Baylor sent one copy of his proclamation to Richmond and another to the Mesilla Times, a local newspaper founded by pro-Confederate Anglos in 1860. He then penned a letter to General Earl Van Dorn, commander of the Confederate Department of Texas, describing the events of the previous week in New Mexico Territory.
“I have acted in all matters relating to the acquisition of Arizona entirely upon my own responsibility,” he wrote, “and can only refer the matter, through you, for the approval of the Government.”
Baylor assumed that President Jefferson Davis and the Confederate Congress would not object to his actions because, he noted, “the vast mineral resources of Arizona, in addition to its affording an outlet to the Pacific, make its acquisition a matter of some importance to our Government.”30 There was no question that Arizona Territory was essential to the Confederacy’s plans to reach California, and John Baylor had just cleared the way. He was the vanguard of Confederate manifest destiny.
Word of the Battle of Mesilla, the Union surrender at San Augustin Springs, and the creation of Arizona Territory reached Texas a week later, and then spread throughout the Confederacy in the summer and fall of 1861. Although he had acted without orders, Baylor’s victories pleased his superiors in San Antonio and Richmond. Van Dorn immediately notified the War Department about Baylor’s “complete success” in his expedition, boasting of the prisoners and supplies that the Texas officer had taken.31 Confederate Secretary of War Judah Benjamin lauded Baylor’s success in his report to President Davis on the progress of the war in 1861.
“All the proceedings of Lieutenant-Colonel Baylor appear to have been marked by prudence, energy, and sagacity,” Benjamin wrote, “and to be deserving of high praise. The result of his action has been the securing to the Confederacy a portion of the territory formerly common to all the States but now forming a natural appendage to our Confederate States, opening a pathway to the Pacific.”32
It was glorious news for the South. Their empire of slavery appeared to be growing in the West, at the same moment that they had won the first major battle outside the town of Manassas, Virginia, in the East.
When John Baylor’s family heard about his victories, they were beside themselves.
“I can’t pretend to tell you all the compliments I have had on your brilliant success,” wrote his sister Fanny. Their mother, she reported, had been campaigning among the local families in San Antonio to have “a report of the Missilla [sic] Battle published.”33
The residents of Mesilla reacted similarly, complimenting Baylor at every opportunity. Robert P. Kelley, the editor of the Mesilla Times, wrote on the day of the San Augustin surrender that the 2nd Texas had “changed our position from one of fear and anxiety to wild enthusiasm—the dread of armed oppression and outrage give place to the brightest hopes and most confident security.” Baylor’s victories had liberated southern New Mexico from the “Abolition despot,” the editor crowed, “the transition from darkness to light has been sudden, skillful, and glorious.”34
Baylor basked in the praise. He worried, however, that his small force was not strong enough to occupy Confederate Arizona for very long.
“Now that I have taken possession of the Territory,” Baylor wrote to Van Dorn, “I trust a force sufficient to occupy and hold it will be sent by the Government, under some competent man.”35
While Baylor waited for an experienced soldier to take his place, he became fretful. Yes, he had captured southern New Mexico and declared it the Confederate Territory of Arizona without much difficulty. There were still innumerable threats to his position, however, from all directions.36 His scouts confirmed that thousands of Union Army troops were concentrating at Fort Craig. Mexicans from Sonora, hearing of the chaos in New Mexico and sensing weakness on their northern border, were threatening to retake Tucson, which they had lost to the United States in the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. Mescalero Apaches had attacked the small detachment of soldiers Baylor had sent to Fort Stanton, a former Union Army post nestled in the mountains in central New Mexico. And Chiricahua Apaches were raiding wagon trains and mining camps along the Butterfield mail route in western Arizona.
Baylor became desperate for men to help him fight what he was sure would become a multi-front Civil War against Yankees, Mexicans, and Apaches. Until these reinforcements arrived, the future of the Confederate West was uncertain. Shaking off visions of disaster, Baylor wrote to Confederate officials in San Antonio, promising that “I will do all in my power to hold the country, against all odds.”37 He could not do much about the Yankees or the Mexicans without more Texas soldiers. What he could do, however, was launch a successful campaign against Arizona’s Apaches. John Baylor was a farmer, lawyer, legislator, military commander, and now a governor. He had one other area of expertise: finding and killing Indians.
Table of Contents
Part 1 Those Whom the Gods Would Destroy
Chapter 1 Baylor 5
Chapter 2 Mangas Coloradas 15
Chapter 3 Canby 24
Chapter 4 Davidson 33
Chapter 5 Juanita 42
Chapter 6 Ickis 50
Chapter 7 Valverde 57
Part 2 Trail Men
Chapter 8 Baylor 79
Chapter 9 Clark 90
Chapter 10 Glorieta 99
Chapter 11 Davidson 115
Chapter 12 Carleton 124
Chapter 13 Mangas Coloradas 136
Chapter 14 Canby 144
Chapter 15 Ickis 152
Part 3 Land of Suffering
Chapter 16 Mangas Coloradas 165
Chapter 17 Clark 176
Chapter 18 Tséyi' 185
Chapter 19 Carleton 200
Chapter 20 Juanita 214
Chapter 21 Clark 224
Chapter 22 Juanita 232 | 0.65 | medium | 6 | 5,894 | [
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5959684c-2d2e-4acb-b9c9-11936c7c3330 | Category Archives: casino spiele kostenlos | technology | data_analysis | Category Archives: casino spiele kostenlos
Fun and free games for android
fun and free games for android
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Deine E-Mail-Adresse wird nicht veröffentlicht. Erforderliche Felder sind markiert * | 0.75 | medium | 4 | 409 | [
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